Japanese designer scoops top honor at Hyères fashion awards

Japanese designer Wataru Tominaga has won the Première Vision Grand Prize at the 31th edition of the Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography.

The 28-year-old Central Saint Martins graduate wowed judges with his playful men's wear silhouettes, which involved pleated sleeves, cotton shirting, dyed corduroy and printed trousers with flocked stripes.

Commenting on his skills, jury head Julien Dossena, creative director for women's wear at Paco Rabanne compared Tominaga to a "young Issey Miyake."

The judging panel also comprised designer Pierre Hardy; jewelry designer Charlotte Chesnais, 2015 winner of the ANDAM Accessories prize; and Barneys New York senior fashion director Tomoko Ogura.

Other winners at the 2016 Hyères event included Finnish duo Hanne Jurmu and Anton Vartiainen, who won the Chloé prize, and Swedish designer Amanda Svert who scored the Audience Award.