Mar 29: Diesel devotees, gear up for the latest fruits of the company's craze for young design talent. The five-piece "Einav Zucker by Diesel" collection will hit Diesel stores around the world starting next week.
Zucker, a 26-year-old Israel native who graduated from Shenkar School of Engineering and Design just last year, landed the "Diesel Award" at the ITS#ONE contest for young designers in July. This Diesel-produced mini-collection is her prize money.
The five pieces, all fashioned from cotton and lycra in tones of white and beige, are inspired by parachutes. Though wartime minds might immediately jump to a military reference, Zucker says she sees parachutes as a metaphor for "self-emancipation and a spiritual desire to fly."

A light sand boiler suit, a look that made its way down many spring runways, is utilitarian in feel with its many zippers and pockets, but certainly sexy when zipped low. The rest of this collection-ette is cut much closer to the body, with a pair of hip-hugging trousers, two lycra tees (one long-sleeved, one sleeveless, both with graphic adornment) and a funky buckled waistcoat. Each carries a customized label with Zucker's name as well as Diesel's and the ITS#ONE logo.
ITS, International Talent Support, created this program to help young design talent get a start. Last year ITS#ONE fielded 460 applications from 82 fashion design schools and 42 countries. Thirty-three of the aspiring designers were invited to the seaside Italian town of Trieste for the three-day finals last July. A 13-person jury, including Diesel creative director Wilbert Das, designer Warren Noronha, Isabella Blow, i-D director Terry Jones, Nylon magazine chief Marvin Scott Jarrett, and Black Book editorial and creative director Evan Schindler, judged the work of the budding talents on the criteria of creativity and innovation, as well as feasibility.

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In addition to Diesel Award winner Zucker, Vishvajeet Dhir of India and Erik Jan Frenken of the Netherlands each won $5,000 for the best menswear collection and best womenswear collection, respectively. La Cambre student Daniele Controversio won the grand prize of $10,000 to setup a workshop and create a collection to be presented at ITS#TWO this summer.


In preparation for this second edition - aptly dubbed ITS#TWO - the ITS crew spent January and February on a scouting tour of 17 fashion design schools in Belgium, Holland, UK, France and Italy, and is now welcoming another slew of submissions. The group was excited to receive the first one, from Royal College of Art alum and Barcelonan Silvia Garcia Presas, earlier this month. March 31 is the deadline for submissions.

ITS#TWO will be held July 10 to 13 in Trieste and, in addition to returning partner Diesel, ITS can also count Alitalia, Albacom and Develon among its sponsors. Like last year, ITS#TWO has been organized by Trieste-based creative agency EVE, headed by Barbara Franchin.
As of April 5, "Einav Zucker by Diesel" can be found at the Diesel Concept Store Milan Porta Ticinese, the Diesel Denim Galleries in New York and Tokyo, and the Diesel flagships in London Covent Garden and Paris Etienne Marcel.
Bureau Report