COMPETITIONS

Competition research

I have researched the competitions on offer for fashion/textile graduates. There are several awards and prizes on offer that would be relevant to my FMP and style as a designer. I feel it’s important to know about competitions and opportunities outside of the ones participated at University, and have an understanding of the requirements and prizes. An interesting way of seeing the standard of work to be considered for the competition was by looking at previous winners/runners up.

H&M DESIGN AWARD

The competition is open to graduating 2017 BA or MA students with garment-based collections.

This is an incredible prize and opportunity with many top university graduates applying. However I feel it is worth submitting my FMP portfolio.

THE AWARD

The winner will be awarded a prize of €25,000 as well as a six month, paid internship at H&M’s Head Office in Stockholm, working alongside the design team that develops our most fashion-forward collections. In addition, all finalists, including the winner, will be awarded €5,000 for making it to the final.

PREVIOUS WINNER

WINNER 2017: RICHARD QUINN, CENTral ST martins

“We all fell in love with Richard. He has a clear vision for his brand, and a real wow factor in his collections. Richard is deeply creative, with a very holistic view of the environment, and he’s a worthy winner of the H&M Design Award 2017,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative advisor.

“It means so much to win the H&M Design Award. I want to create my own collection, as well as offer my generation a creative hub, supporting real craft in London,” say Richard Quinn, winner of the H&M Design Award.

“Richard Quinn has the makings of something really great. There is a depth of creativity, with so many different ideas, a real commercial potential and also the sustainable thinking that will help him build a real values-based brand,” says Imran Amed, editor in chief of Business of Fashion.

26 year-old Richard Quinn impressed the jury with his unique vision for the future of fashion. The London-born graduate from the Central Saint Martins MA course not only cuts womenswear pieces that are both striking and desirable. He also prints all of his own fabrics using ethical processes, and plans to open a print studio that will become a creative hub for other young designers in London. It’s a holistic approach that runs through all of Quinn’s work, which he hopes will prove to be a new model for the fashion industry in the 21st century.

Award Title: New Designers John Lewis Award for Design and Innovation

Award Prize:

The winner will receive £1000 to support their design and an opportunity to visit the Design team.

Awards Criteria:

The John Lewis award will be given to a designer whose design thinking, skill and creativity explores new territories for how we live now and in the future.

·       Creativity

·       Market research & relevance

·       Sustainability

·       Commercial understanding and presentation

Award Title: New Designers One Year On Award

Award Prize:

·       New Designers - Cash Prize of £500

·       Design Nation - 1 year free membership

·       Plus a Showcase Exhibition at the National Centre for Craft & Design

·       Design Trust  - 1 year free membership to The Design Trust Business Club

·       Plus a comprehensive online benefits package

Awards Criteria:

One winner from One Year On Part 1 based on the following:

·       Originality of design and creativity

·       Quality of making

·       Cohesive collection of work

·       Commitment to the development of their work.

Award Title: New Designer of the Year: Runner Up

Award Prize:

The winner will receive a £500 cash prize

Awards Criteria:

With so much talent to choose from, deciding who to select as the winner of the New Designer of the Year award is often a tough job. Therefore, we think it is important to recognise those who so nearly got selected and give them part of the limelight. Hence the runner up is still a highly sought after accolade and very much deserved by those who win.

An independent panel of judges will look for a winner who is innovative, inspiring, engaging and forward thinking, reflecting the core values of the Business Design Centre.

Award Title: Business Design Centre New Designer of the Year

Award Prize:

£1,500 cash prize, plus additional benefits as follows:

·       £1,000 worth of legal advice from Specialist intellectual property lawyers Briffa including a year’s free membership to their DesignProtect insurance service.

·       £2,000 worth of invaluable accounting and taxation advice from experts HWFisher.

·       A dedicated ½ day focus on PR by Four Coleman Getty and marketing worth £500.

Awards Criteria:

The Business Design Centre (BDC) is proud to present the New Designer of the Year Award. With one winner for each part of the event, these awards are highly prestigious and give the winning graduate the highest adulation at the event.

An independent panel of judges will look for a winner who is innovative, inspiring, engaging and forward thinking, reflecting the core values of the BDC.