˛V. GOLDEN NEEDLE 2003

The ceremony of the 10th annual nominations of the Academy of fashion – Zlatna Igla (Golden Needle) 2003 took place under an exceptional interest, in a brilliant and stylish way. The gala evening of the voting and awarding the most prestigious fashion awards in Bulgaria took place on March 13, 2004 at Inter Expo Centre. The Academy of Fashion (established in 1993 ăîäčíŕ in Paris, France, at the idea of Donka Ganeva and Lubomir Stoykov) proved again that the most objective evaluation of the fashion design achievement is belongs to the fourth power – the fashion journalists from the printed and electronic media. Who were the winners in the separate categories? Designer of the Year and winner of Zlatna Igla (Golden Needle) 2003 was Virginia Zdravkova (Virginia Atelier), Fashion House of the Year – Agressia (manager Maya Assenova), fashion photography – Valentin Mechanov, and for Contribution to the Bulgarian Fashion – Bulgarian Fashion Forum in the person of its honorary Chairman Ivan Chalukov.

For the two newly established categories Fashion Make-up Artist and Accessories, most votes were given to Kiril Chalukov and Irina Sardareva, who won the respective golden needles. The Golden Needle was traditionally made by the Bulgarian jeweller Angelo Krassini. Other designers, make-up artists, photographers, nominated in the respective categories, such as Irida, Miro, Aries Unikat, Milka Alexandrova –Buchi, Maria Nedkova, Neli Koleva, Victoria Unique (neckties), Totka Docheva, Bozhidar Markov, Tomas Imov, etc. presented very impressive collections and works. The prima ballerinas of the National Opera, Galya and Miro of Karizma duet, Neli – the reporter of Ogledala (Mirrors) fashion show of bTV, and others joined the attractive processions on the catwalk.

The 34-member journalist jury voted for the masters of the needle and the thread, for the best professionals in the Bulgarian fashion in 2003. The jury was chaired for the 10th year in a row by Ass. Prof. Dr. Lubomir Stoykov (Deputy Chairman of the Academy of Fashion). The jury included Donka Ganeva, Chairman of the Academy of Fashion, Niki Kunchev (Who Wants To Be a Millionaire TV show and Darik Radio), Vessela Slavcheva (Moda Magazine), Lyuba Rizova (Head of the bTV news), Lilia Vuchkova (Bulgarian National Television), as well as Nada Nesheva (Troud daily), Maria Raycheva (24 Chassa daily), Yulia Vulkova (Sedmichen Troud weekly), Boris Angelov (Monitor daily and Koi weekly), Silvia Kavdanska (Radio Fresh), Maria Netsova (First Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vsichko za Zhenata newspaper), Toni Raponska (Channel 3 TV), Albena Atanassova (Standart Daily), Silvia Todorova (Fashion BG Internet portal), Nevena Vassileva (BBT), well-known fashion journalists such as Vassilka Garelova, Vanya Ovcharova, Lili Maslova, Ivailo Dimanov, etc. The elections’ technical commission was chaired by Stamen Iliev.

The splendid show of the Academy of Fashion and the awarding of the annual Zlatna Igla (Golden Needle) awards was attended by many VIP guests, including MPs Irena Varadinova and Ivan Pavlov, Silvia Vassileva – wife of Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Vassilev, as well as the worldly lady Julia Bull together with the painter Nikolai Panayotov and an accompanying beautiful prima ballerina, Prof. Gredi Assa, business lady Krassimira Bogdanova, high-life recorder Evgeni Minchev and many other connoisseurs of good taste and style.
Zlatna Igla 2003 award ceremony was presented by Mariana Vekilska (bTV) and her then-future husband radio journalist Simeon Kolev. I.N.A. Trading, Lavazza, Vsichko za Zhenata newspaper, Krass Bulgarian Business Pages, Pizza Hut – Bulgaria, Pepsi , Balkan Multimedia System, Feite flower boutique, Markrit confectionery, and the host indeed – Inter Expo Centre were the sponsors.