Boram Yoo wins Designers’ Nest grand prize

Paris-based designer Boram Yoo won the grand prize at the Designers’ Nest 2022 showcase during Copenhagen Fashion Week with a collection that explored the history of forced labour uniforms in Korea.

The Designers’ Nest annual showcase places a spotlight on 10 outstanding graduate collections by emerging designers from the Nordics who “combine strong design skills and mesmerising silhouettes with awareness and sustainable practices”. This year’s finalists included graduates from The Royal Danish Academy, Aalto University, Beckmans College of Design, the Swedish School of Textiles and Oslo National Academy of the Arts.

There were four prizes awarded, with designer Boram Yoo, an MA-graduate from Aalto University, winning The Designers’ Nest Award 2022 and taking home 50,000 Danish krona and a study trip to UEDA College of Fashion in Osaka, Japan.

Her collection, entitled ‘Absolute Ambivalence’ was inspired by staple garments worn by Korean elderly women, which were originally black and used in forced labour in the colonial era, which was given floral makeovers after the war to overcome the horrible past. Boram Yoo overlaid floral prints on military garments, juxtaposing the stories of war and the optimistic re-appropriation of garments.

Commenting on her collection, the jury said in a statement: “Boram Yoo is a designer whose work exhibits exceptional attention-to-detail, a keen sense of historical investigation, and emotional depth. Her designs speak to fashion ́s power as a tool for self-reclamation and communicate a spirit of eccentricity and optimism – of hope in the face of hardship.

“Bringing together opposing aesthetic tones and textures – the hard functionality of Korean military garments with plush velvets, or painterly florals with blurred digital prints – Boram ́s vision is rigorous, vibrant and undeniably contemporary, making her a truly deserving recipient of this prize.”

Designers’ Nest announces 2022 award winners

Danish designer Frederik Taus, who produced a colourful and playful collection filled with abnormal shoulders, big collars, safety pins and slogan T-shirts, won the Browns Fashion Award and will design a capsule collection for the retailer. Taus will also receive mentorship from Browns and a full pre-payment on the order.

Ida Petersson, womenswear and menswear buying director at Browns, who chose Frederik Taus, said: “I was lucky enough to see some of Frederik’s work last August in person and was immediately drawn to his designs. Frederik is not afraid of experimenting, and in the beauty of his creations there is also a sense of fun and mischief, which is why I think he will be a great fit for Browns.”

Boram Yoo, Frederik Taus, Leevi Ikäheimo and Rintaro Iino win awards at Designers’ Nest 2022

The Exhibition Prize 2022 was awarded by Designmuseum Danmark to Leevi Ikäheimo, a BA-graduate from Aalto University, who will be featured in the museum’s upcoming large-scale exhibition ‘The Future is Present,’ opening in June 2022.

Designmuseum Danmark and curator Pernille Stockmarr said: “Leevi Ikäheimo is the recipient of this year's Exhibition Prize because of his great visionary talent for uniting exquisite craftsmanship, the world of play and gaming and questions about gender stereotypes. With his exaggerated styles and iconic silhouettes, known from plastic toys and virtual avatars, Ikäheimo creates an innovative interplay between the technological perfection of the artificial world and unique high-quality techniques from traditional craftsmanship and fashion. Ikäheimo’s impressive supernatural bodies also make us reflect upon how the way masculinity is still presented to younger boys is a question of power.”

There was also an Internship Prize in collaboration with the creative directors of the Italian label Trussardi, Benjamin Huseby and Sehat Isik from GmbH. They selected Oslo National Academy of the Arts graduate Rintaro Iino for her sculptural knitwear collection. As the winner, Iino will intern at Trussardi alongside the duo at their studio in Berlin.

The other finalists featured in the showcase included: Asier Quintan, Bror August Vestbø, in collaboration with Benjamin Barron, Elina Heilanen, Filippa Agaton, Joona Rautiainen, Mikaela Mårtensson, who will all be featured alongside the winners on the Paris-based recruitment platform Eyes on Talents.