Help House Of Suarez Voguers Dress To Impress

The Vogue Ball is known for its brilliant and inspired costumes. And now designers from across the UK are being given the chance to see their own creations on the Vogue catwalk.

The House of Suarez is delighted to announce the opportunity for emerging costume designer-makers to showcase their talents at the Vogue Balls in Liverpool and Manchester through three funded costume commissions.

The winning designs will be showcased by Vogueing models at both amazing events - the Invisible Wind Factory in Liverpool this October, and in Manchester next spring.

Inspired by the underground Balls begun in the 60s and 70s in New York's LGBT communities - and that were then popularised by the documentary film Paris is Burning and by Madonna's hit single Vogue - The House of Suarez Vogue Balls are major public events that give opportunities for both professional and community artists to compete using dance, costume, makeup, styling and fierce attitudes.

Groups of artists come together in teams - known as 'Houses' - and compete on a runway in any or all of five categories in front of a large public audience as well as a panel of industry judges.

All five categories require participants to present heightened styles and attitudes. Two categories focus on dance style and technique, while the other three focus on costume, character and presentation.

Each year the Houses compete around a given theme with past themes including Twisted Fairy Tales, Gods and Monsters, A Space Oddity and The Sugar Ball. In 2017/18 the theme will be Seven Deadly Sins.

The House of Suarez's Darren Suarez commented: "This is the third consecutive year we'll be running the House of Suarez costume commissions, but the first time we'll be calling out for designers from across the UK. In both previous years the standard of design and creativity from Northern designers has been stunning.

"We're very much looking forward to upping the game this year and seeing what can be produced at a national level."

House of Suarez is commissioning three costumes to be presented as part of the three style categories at the balls in Liverpool and Manchester.

The Seven Deadly Sins Ball is inspired by the seven cardinal sins in literature, on film, in theatre and in our imaginations.... Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride.

The commission is open to any costume artist aged 18 or over and based within the UK. Organisers welcome applications from artists in training, emerging artists or experienced designers.

One design will be selected for each of the three costume categories by a panel of industry professionals, and the artists will be awarded a budget (to include all materials, labour, storage and transport costs) in order to realise the design into a wearable costume.

All costumes will be presented as part of the Liverpool Ball on Saturday 21 October, and the Manchester Ball in Spring 2018.

The three categories within the Seven Deadly Sins theme are Fantasy, Realness and Sex Siren.

The designs MUST follow the theme of the Seven Deadly Sins.

FANTASY

Budget £750

It's odd, extravagant or eccentric in style or mode; strikingly out of the ordinary; very

strange or unusual. The Fantasy category offers the widest range of creativity and display.

The category is larger-than-life. Think installation as costume that must also be practical in presentation for the performer.

REALNESS

Budget £500

The Realness category celebrates the other, the mask, the illusion. It's about Rich/Poor, Male/Female, Straight/Gay, Better/Worse.

It's about the performer using a look and an attitude to convince the audience they are what they are and the costume is all important in proving a point.

SEX SIREN

Budget £250

This category celebrates the body beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Less is more but the costume will need to enhance and beautify. It's all about seduction but without the nudity.

Costumes can be designed for any gender. House of Suarez will select models/performers for the selected commissions informed by the chosen design.

Artists are welcome to suggest their own models/performers but they will need to be available to present the costumes at both Ball events in October and March.

There will be no additional payments for performers.

Final selections will be based on the quality and ambition of the designs and the panel's confidence in the ability of the designer / artist to complete the work to a high standard.

After selection the chosen submissions will need to be realised and delivered by the final deadline with up to two fittings arranged in consultation with House of Suarez.

The designer will be expected to store their final costume until the end of the second ball in Manchester. The costume will then remain the property of House of Suarez.

Deadline for all submissions: Friday 28 July by 5pm.

Chosen submissions announced: Friday 11 August.

Budgets will be released and fittings arranged in consultation with the artist and House of Suarez.

Final delivery deadline for completed costumes: Friday 20 October.

House of Suarez Liverpool Vogue Ball 'The Seven Deadly Sins Ball' takes place on October 21 2017

House of Suarez Manchester Vogue Ball 'The Seven Deadly Sins Ball' takes place in March 2018 (date tbc)

Please send each submission to House of Suarez co-producer, Adrian Turrell-Watts, at adrian@turrell-watts.com