Richard Quinn is the winner of the H&M Design Award 2017
Yesterday in London, Richard Quinn was announced as the winner of the H&M Design Award 2017. Richard, a graduate from Central Saint Martins, was selected from eight international finalists by a jury of fashion experts chaired by H&M’s creative advisor Ann-Sofie Johansson. Richard Quinn wins €50,000, one-year’s mentorship from H&M, and the chance to develop pieces from the winning collection to be sold in selected H&M stores in Autumn 2017.
“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.
Richard Quinn was selected by an international jury of fashion experts led by H&M’s creative advisor Ann-Sofie Johansson. Other jury members were, Imran Amed, editor in chief of Business of Fashion, Pernille Teisbaek, founder and creative director of Social Zoo, Zanita Whittington, creative director of Azalle and Zanita Studio, Yasmin Sewell, fashion director of Style.com, Hannah Jinkins, winner of the H&M Design Award 2016 and Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor to H&M.
“It means so much to win the H&M Design Award. It helps me to open a studio with an ethical way of working, which I think is the future of fashion. 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.
The jury spent time with each of the eight finalists, taking the opportunity to look through their collections. After deliberating in private, the winner was announced to an audience of international fashion editors and stylists.
“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.
The jury expressed their excitement at meeting all of the finalists, who each showcased their unique design talents. The finalists, who each win €5,000, are:
Constance Blackaller – University of Westminster, UK
Yu Li Song – Samsung Art & Design Institute, South Korea
Alex Huang – Parsons School of Design, USA
Amir Marc – Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Israel
Max Luo – Central Saint Martins, UK
YuTyng Chiu – Institut Francais de la Mode, France
Chen Peng – London College of Fashion, UK
The H&M Design Award was founded in 2012 to support young designers. Each year, students and graduates from some of the world’s most respected fashion and design colleges take part, bringing together some of the most exciting new talent from across the globe. The annual prize underlines H&M’s strong commitment to the future of fashion, encouraging young designers as they begin their careers, as well as inspiring the next generation to choose fashion as their future path.
For images of the final and more information about H&M Design Award, visit designaward.hm.com.
For more details about the final, please visit our Image Gallery.