FAD 2015 Fashion Futures winner announced

Hackney-based charity Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) has named 17-year-old Hana Minowa as the winner of its 2015 Fashion Futures Final, following a catwalk showcase that closed London Fashion Week at Fashion Scout.

19 teenage finalists took part in the LFW showcase presenting garments inspired by the Korean and Japanese culture, with Minowa praised by the jury for her “originality,” as well as how she brought together her distressed hemp trousers with a crisp, white bandeau top.

As the winner, Minowa wins a placement with the design team at George at Asda, sponsors of the Fashion Futures event.

As well as an overall winner, there were three runner-up awards given for technical excellence, innovative surface decoration and directional outerwear. 17-year-old Anakin Telle Nakata from Tower Hamlets was awarded the technical excellence award for her unisex design inspired by Japanese fish illustrations, which was constructed in a neoprene material. Nakata will also receive a design placement with the George at Asda team.

Fashion Futures crowns Hana Minowa as 2015 winner

While Nurdan Sinal was presented with the innovative surface decoration award for her origami fold dress with spray paint print, and David Bennie received the directional outerwear award with his menswear jacket, featuring tribal hand embroidery.

The show is now in its eleventh year and each of the finalists undertook ten weeks of practical workshops with FAD before presenting their finished portfolios to a panel of industry experts. The selected finalists then spent five days with FAD mentors at The University of East London creating their garments for the London catwalk.

The aim of the Fashion Futures project is to give hands-on training and industry experience to 16-19-year olds, targeting disadvantaged young people with free places and mentoring support. Next year Fashion Futures will have even more to offer creative teens across London as the organisation has been awarded a grant from the RBS Skills and Opportunities Fund, to run a 12-month programme of careers, skills training and mentoring to support up to 80 young people to progress towards creative careers.

Fashion Futures 2016 will launch in November, with workshops starting in January 2016.

Images: Fashion Futures 2015 - Hana Minowa