The 2023 Cordwainers Footwear Awards will take place on 7 June at Merchant Taylors’ Hall, Threadneedle Street, London. Fifteen student finalists from the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, and De Montfort University, will compete to win the coveted Cordwainers Footwear Award Trophy.
Established in 2014, the Cordwainers Footwear Awards offer footwear design students significant cash prizes and the chance to earn industry recognition for their work. Finalists can also gain mentoring experience from some of the best names in the British footwear industry.
This year there are two fresh award categories.
Research has shown that the most iconic shoe style is the trainer, and the new Sneaker/Athleisure Award recognises the innovative design work in this area of footwear. The Sue Saunders Award for Excellence is also a new prize.
This will be awarded by nomination to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the footwear trade. Sue Saunders was an inspiring teacher and mentor in the footwear world, and this special award honours her memory. There will also be a Sustainable Development Award.
The awards are recognised by industry leaders as a celebration of emerging talent.
“We need to ensure that the footwear industry has a really bright talent for the future,” said Lucy Rees-Raybould, CEO of the British Footwear Association. “What better way to do it than with these fantastic awards.”
“The awards are always a riot of colour, innovation and excellence,” adds John Peal, Master of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, a City of London livery company that was granted the right to regulate the footwear trade in the City in 1272. “I can’t wait to see what our students produce this year. We are proud to embrace initiatives that will engage the top designers of tomorrow.
This year will also see Joanne Jorgensen, Materials Design Director (Footwear) at Nike join the judging panel. A creative industry professional who is as passionate about mentoring emerging talent as she is about footwear, Jorgensen says; “I feel very privileged to have been invited to judge the incredible work of so many talented students who have participated in the Cordwainer Footwear Awards 2023.”
Jorgensen joins Katie Greenyer of Pentland Brands, Joachim Sedelmeier, Head of Design, Shoes, at Paul Smith, and Charlotte Olympia Dellal, international designer, on the 2023 judging panel.
