European Fashion Award - FASH 2009

'New Diversity' was the theme of the European Fashion Award – FASH 2009. Presented annually since 2005, the design competition was held by Germany's fashion industry foundation Stiftung der Deutschen (SDBI). A jury of international, experienced experts from design, industry, marketing, media and retail selected the winners from 101 entries of nine countries according to specific criteria.

The award ceremony was held at the international sporting goods exposition ispo AW09 in Munich. The 1st prize in the category 'Students' went to Marcel Lunkwitz and Julia Müller (Burg Giebichenstein – University of Art and Design Halle) for their innovative and emotion-charged men's collection 'Where the clouds are like headlines'. Ilona Zaytseva (University Pforzheim), who was also among the winners in 2008, received 2nd prize with her high-quality, autonomous collection 'Hoolifans'.

In the category 'Graduates' 1st prize was awarded to Marianne Musek (Berlin University of the Arts). Pilgrimage helped her to reflect on the design of her collection for men and women, 'The Quest for Happiness'. 2nd Prize was awarded to Nicole Manz (University Niederrhein, Mönchengladbach) for her women's collection 'Cocooned Solitude – when safety keeps you Imprisoned', offering mobile retreats. Adrian Sommerauer (Royal College of Art, London) won 3rd prize with his elegant, yet melancholy men's collection 'London, Heimat #3'. Special Mention went to Wenke Müller (Burg Giebichenstein – University of Art and Design Halle) for her collection with ten profiles, ten 'Dreams of My Self'. The award winners don't follow fashion edicts or interchangeable lifestyle trends. The projects work with new images of men and women, and create modern ways of living. For them, fashion is more than just apparel – it is an emotional investment.

"The level of the award-winning projects of the European Fashion Awards FASH 2009 is on an international scale. They compare with the collections of globally renowned up-and-coming designers," says jury member Martin Leuthold, Art Director of Jakob Schlaepfer and designer of fabrics for fashion houses such as Akris, Chanel and Marc Jacobs. Jury member Jean Kress, who worked for Dior, Lanvin and Guy Laroche before becoming Head of Design at Quiksilver Europe, commended the entries: "These students have a much more modern view of fashion than many members of the industry."

The prizes included cash totalling 10,000 Euro, three textile vouchers provided by the Swiss Textile Federation valued at a total of 4,500 Euro, as well as paid, six-month internships at couture house Akris (St. Gallen, Switzerland), and apparel company Craft (Borås, Sweden). The portfolios of all award-winning designs are available to public view at the Lipperheidesche Kostümbibliothek in Berlin.

Fashion entrepreneur Klaus Steilmann founded SDBI in 1978. Its goal is the progressive endorsement of new talent.

Image: Where clouds are like headlines (Marcel Lunkwitz and Julia Müller)