H&M Design Award 2013

South Korean designer Minju Kim was announced the winner of H&M’s Design Award 2013. The designer who is in her final masters year studying fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, presented her BA collection titled ‘Dear My Friend’, inspired by Japanese Manga cartoonist Junji Ito during Mercedes-Benz Stockholm Fashion Week.

Chosen by a judging panel, which included Jonathan Saunders and H&M head of design Ann-Sofie Johansson, the designer won the accolade over seven other talent students from across Europe, after impressing them with her determination to make each piece as perfect as she could.

As winner she receives 50,000 euros and the opportunity to develop pieces from her collection to be sold in selected H&M stores this autumn.

This year the H&M Design Award also included a People’s Prize which was presented to Alba Prat, from the Universität der Künste, Berlin. The prize was decided by visitors to the H&M Design Award website, who have been voting since January 16 for their favourite collection. As winner, Prat receives a month’s internship at Jonathan Saunders in London.

Images: Minju Kim collection