Defile Head 2021

Defile Head 2021

Twenty-three Bachelor's and ten Master's collections were part of the fashion show presented by the Fashion and Accessory Design Department of HEAD last Friday: three graduates have been awarded by an international jury, sharing four prizes. 

For his Bachelor collection, Tennessy Thoreson showed powerful and flamboyant women silhouettes that dazzled the jury and the public. The superheroines of his collection were doubly rewarded with the Bachelor Bongénie Award and the HEAD x Eyes on Talents Award. Sophie Fellay, whose Master's collection was awarded the La Redoute x HEAD Award, presented a collection full of softness and simplicity. As for Lora Sonney, also a Master's graduate, she proposed elegant creations composing a collection of great coherence, with a subtle sensitivity to the challenges of sustainability, and was awarded the Firmenich 2021 Master's Award.

The PRIX BACHELOR BONGENIE 2021 was awarded to Tennessy Thoreson

The Bachelor Bongénie 2021 Prize, endowed with 5'000 CHF, was awarded to Tennessy Thoreson's collection "When I grow up, I want to be a superhero" and was presented by Margot Scheuer, buyer and fashion manager of Bongénie Grieder.

The jury stated: “The collection shows bold pattern making skills and design in celebration of wearing your true colors. Tennesy Thoreson has strong storytelling skills that deliver, with humour and wit, a powerful message about current social issues around gender identities. The collection leaves a very sharp image. The aesthetics convey the fun and joy of getting dressed and creating a superhero, which reflects Tennessy’s personal journey yet will appeal to a wide audience. We look forward to seeing Tennessy fly.”

The PRIX LA REDOUTE x HEAD 2021 was awarded to Sophie Fellay

The La Redoute x HEAD 2021 Prize was awarded to Sophie Fellay's Master collection entitled "Play Suit" and was presented by Sylvette Boutin-Lepers, La Redoute's Image and Creative Partnerships Manager.

"Since 1969, La Redoute has been supporting creation and especially young creation. The HEAD and La Redoute are two institutions that have youth, dynamism and ambition in common. For me, this prize salutes the freshness, the refinement, the outcome of simple and chic creations." Sylvette Boutin-Lepers added that La Redoute will edit Sophie Fellay's collection in winter 2022 and that her capsule will be present at La Redoute and Galeries Lafayette. 

The PRIX HEAD X EYES ON TALENTS 2021 was also awarded to Tennessy Thoreson

The Eyes on Talents platform was represented in the jury by Valentina Maggi, Head of Design Practice, in the office of Floriane de Saint-Pierre et Associés, to which the platform is affiliated.



Eyes on Talents is looking to reward a graduate that has studied and tackled an issue concerning societal consciousness related to fashion. Tennessy Thoreson has researched and proposed specific solutions through his graduation collection in a result that is creatively stimulating, as well as a real-world alternative for some of fashion biggest challenges when it comes to it’s role in society.

As a winner of the Eyes on Talents Prize, Tennessy Thoreson will be invited to join its pool of international talents, getting the opportunity to be exposed to Eyes on Talents’ prestigious clients that are recruiting through the platform. He will be coached on portfolio and presentations, one of many important steps to build a professional career-path.


The Prix MASTER FIRMENICH 2021 awarded to Lora Sonney

The Master Firmenich 2021 Prize, endowed with a 10,000 CHF envelope, was awarded to Lora Sonney's collection "Soleil brûlant, sous un orage aquarelle" by Felix Frowein, Senior Vice President Perfumery of Firmenich. This prize will give the young designer the opportunity to create a fragrance for her collection in the laboratories of the Geneva-based multinational working with the greatest talents in the world of fashion and perfumery.

The Jury underlined: “Lora Sonney managed to uplift and sublime an otherwise discarded material (hosepipes), fitting it into a fully comprehensive and cohesive collection touching both ready-to-wear and accessories. Lora is a designer who thinks outside the box, has creativity combined with merchandising skills. We look forward to her future innovations. »

Jean-Pierre Greff, director of HEAD, made the most of the evening to introduce the new Head of the Fashion and Accessories Design Department, the fashion designer Lutz Huelle, and emphasized the joy of meeting again for the fashion show, an event that has deeply contributed to forging the identity of the department and has helped to boost its recognition by professional circles.