Antwerp student wins H&M Design Award
A final-year student at the Fashion Department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp has won this year’s H&M Design award. Besides a €50,000 prize, 26-year-old Minju Kim will be able to show her creations during Stockholm Fashion Week, and some of her designs will end up in selected H&M stores this autumn.
This is the second Design Award issued by H&M, the Swedish clothing chain, with the aim of stimulating and supporting fashion students across Europe. Final-year students from 19 schools in eight countries were chosen to design collections, and eight finalists (one from each country) were flown to Stockholm to present their collections to the H&M jury in Stockholm. The jury included the Scottish-born top designer Jonathan Saunders, New York-based fashion blogger-cum-photographer Hanneli Mustaparta and H&M’s head of design, Ann-Sofie Johansson.
The jury picked Kim as the winner, calling her show “amazing, full of joy and creativity in combination with a strong sense of design and craftsmanship”. Kim, who is from South Korea, called her collection “Dear My Friend”, taking her inspiration from the Japanese manga cartoonist Junji Ito. As a result, the designs feature furry, puffy sleeves, cheerful colours, platform shoes and helmet-like hats.
It’s not clear yet which of Kim’s designs will ends up in stores – or if customers will recognise them. “The collection will get a more commercial touch,” admits Matthieu Colpaert of H&M Belgium. Kim is working with H&M on adapting the designs for the retail market. “There will be at least five pieces!” she says excitedly from Stockholm. “It is very interesting to collaborate with the H&M design team to see how we can translate the collection. I can learn a lot from this.” Every piece sold will be available in the store’s usual size range.
“I still can’t believe I won the H&M Design Award,” says Kim. “I’ll get to show my creations during Stockholm Fashion Week and experience what it’s like to have my own show.” After graduating, Kim plans a few internships at renowned fashion houses, before starting her own label.
http://designaward2013.hm.com
