Footwear Friends Announce the Winners of the 2010 Annual Awards

Published: 15 November, 2010

Tuesday November 2 saw the fourth Footwear Friends Annual Awards presentations take place at the London Canal Museum. Around 160 movers and shakers from the trade joined in a celebration of the achievements of the 18 nominees who submitted themselves to a Dragon’s Den type process to identify those who had the right combination of beautiful product and credible business plan.

The Footwear Friends Designer Award

Kat Maconie of the eponymous brand took this year’s award of a £5,000 bursary which is to be used to further Young Designers/Entrepreneurs business expertise. The 2010 Award was generously sponsored by T & A SHOES and RAINBOW CLUB. The Award additionally includes a 12-month tailored mentoring programme by industry experts

The Meltzer Travel Award

This year’s award went to Northern Cobbler

The Award of £750 is primarily to assist candidates in attending key Trade Shows. Donated by Philip Meltzer in memory of JOE MELTZER. Again this Award includes a mentoring programme.

The FN/Platform Award

The 2010 Award presents three winners with the opportunity to show at the USA’s premier footwear show - Magic in Las Vegas – This will allow emerging brands to share a stand sponsored by the organisers. Kat Maconie of KAT MACONIE, Lucy MacNamara of ASPIGA and Natalie Dean of BEYOND SKIN .

The Footwear Friends Annual Awards are now in their fourth year and in that short time, have been recognised as an important way of spotting and rewarding British talent in the Footwear Industry.

Footwear Friends, the industry charity, was established nearly 175 years ago and has a proud record of helping those most in need in the Trade. These Awards also enable Footwear Friends to support the young entrepreneurs who will be the future lifeblood of the industry.

The Awards Evening Event was generously sponsored by organisations closely linked with the footwear industry. They are:

BLC – the leading leather specialists

COLVANBRIDGE –suppliers of total freight management to the footwear trade

PURE, the iconic London based fashion exhibition

SATRA, the world famous technology and innovation centre

YODEL, the major delivery company

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