CHOOLIPS' awards & journey to India

"Having seen Annegret in action over the last two years, she is a beacon of light within the fashion industry, at the forefront of looking at ways that she can build the capacity of small business co-operatives in Africa. "

Claire Hamer, Buyer and Entrepreneur
(former Buyer for Topshop)

Cheering up those rainy London days...I am thrilled! CHOOLIPS just won 'Barclays Innovative Business of the Year' 2008 with the RSATrust/Enfield Enterprise Agency for its ethical business approach & stepping up the pace with its latest innovative twist to Batik printing. Adding fresh sparkle to our prints for next year we will keep the twist up our sleeves for the time being as all will be revealed with pretty dresses next Spring.

It seems we are not stopping here! CHOOLIPS is also shortlisted 'UK Young Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year 2009' with the British Council in partnership with NESTA** http://www.creativeconomy.org.uk/UKYFE
The UK Young Fashion Entrepreneur Award is the latest edition to the British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur programme, which focuses on design, screen, music, publishing and fashion.

So off we go to India tomorrow for two weeks! Along with five other finalists I will gain precious insight into one of the world’s fastest-developing and most dynamic economies on this specially-tailored tour opening the door to India’s fashion industry. We will meet leading figures from India's fashion industry and their peers, other Indian young entrepreneurs from the sector and find out more about the industry's infrastructure, the market and how to do business in India. On our return we will be re-interviewed to assess what we have learned from the opportunity and how we might take the experience forward. A winner will be chosen and announced at London Fashion Week in Feb'09.

If you care to join me on my journey to India over the next two weeks I will be sharing my impressions on the BLOG every few days. I cannot wait to have my eyes filled with India & discover a few new CHOOLIPS'.

**NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts. Its mission is to transform the UK’s capacity for innovation. With the largest portfolio of early-stage businesses in the country, it is a leading authority on how to grow new ideas. We also stimulate imaginative solutions to pressing social issues and shape policy to help the UK meet its national innovation challenges. www.nesta.org.uk