The Winners

Photo: © Franziska Schrödinger / SDBI

The European Fashion Award FASH 2013 searched for the new fashion image for men – which in turn reveal new images for women too. The festive award ceremony was held during the trade show ISPO MUNICH 2013. 

Are men the new fashion victims? Are men afraid of beauty? How important is erotic capital to their style and their identity? Are fathers the new mothers? Does the classic guy have a future? In other words: what makes a man? And what does he look like? The European Fashion Award FASH 2013 searched for the new fashion image for men – which in turn reveal new images for women too.
A jury consisting of experts from the design, industry, retail and media sectors selected the winners according to preset criteria. 87 students from 12 countries (among them countries like Great Britain, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Italy or Hungary) submitted their projects.

The festive award ceremony was held during the international sports business trade show ISPO MUNICH 2013. Among the many guests were stylist Stephan Meyer, Berlin-based fashion designer Michael Sontag and Frauke Buschmeyer (head designer Lala Berlin), Markus Freitag (founder of Freitag), many representative and designers from leading companies, such as Arc’teryx, Burda Style Group, Classicon, Freitag Taschen, W.L. Gore, Mercedes-Benz, Sport Scheck, Swarovski, Wellendorf or Quiksilver, as well as university professors, teachers and students.

The winning collections are very diverse, matching today’s life concepts. There no longer is just one model for all. The style groups vary too much, as do the motives. It became clear that classic male images no longer work. Changes are taking place.
The jury discussions were correspondingly intense. The winning projects are concepts that plumb the potential of fashion. They are comparable to concept cars, not everyday apparel.

The Winners
1st Prize was awarded to Tanja Schmidt and Philip Rudzinski (6th semester, Bachelor, Hochschule Hannover/University of Applied Sciences and Arts) for their jeans couture “Wer hat die Hosen an?”. The denim collection questions masculinity from the female and male perspective. The focus is on pants as a symbol of power. The designs fuse the workwear origin of denim with today’s baggy styles. “The jeans couture by Tanja Schmidt and Philip Rudzinski is professional in every detail as well as full of energy, humor and irony. It provides the industry with inspiration,” explains the jury chairman Joachim Schirrmacher (Creative Consultant, Berlin), the selection for top honor.

The jury awarded three 2nd Prizes: the men’s collection “The boy was brightly decorated” by Lisa Alessandra Sänger (8th semester, Universität der Künste Berlin/University of the Arts Berlin) combines and translates the opulence of the worlds of hiphop and haute couture. “She conveyed the aura of Haute Couture into young men’s fashion with fresh proportions in an impressive and subtle manner,” comments jury member Robb Young (fashion journalist and consultant, London).
The very mature men’s collection “Grenzgänger” by Tim Labenda (Bachelor, Hochschule Pforzheim/Pforzheim University) is based on observation of 18- to 28-year-old men, who consider themselves heterosexuals, yet are fascinated by or even open to homosexual „slip-ups“, the allure of the “forbidden”, and simply pure lust. “A talented and ambitious designer with a global perception, who has the power to leave his mark on a brand,” says jury member Margareta van den Bosch (Creative Advisor, Hennes & Mauritz, Stockholm).
Anet Schmieder and Magdalena Stark (Master, Burg Giebichenstein, Kunsthochschule Halle) shift gender roles until they dissolve in their collection “Zwei Herzen schlagen, Ach! in meiner Brust” (Two hearts, alas, are dwelling in my breast” loosely based on Goethe). “The collection is very consistent and highly aesthetic despite the plethora of influences and colors. Such balance is proof of a high level of skill – also in styling,” praises jury member Michael Sontag (designer, Berlin).

Special Mention was awarded to Kyoung eun Hong (Hochschule für Künste Bremen/University of the Arts Bremen) for her graduate project “Insomnia”. It is inspired by the state of insomnia. The fabrics are covered in hand-cut hole patterns und put together layer upon layer upon layer – just like wearisome thoughts during a sleepless night. This resulted in a very modern, stylish and artistically impressive small collection,” states jury member Dr. Adelheid Rasche (Director of Sammlung Modebild, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin/Fashion Image Collection – National Museums in Berlin).
Another Special Mention went to Florian Wowretzko (final project, Berufsfachschule für Mode, Brigitte Kehrer/Training College for Fashion Brigitte Kehrer) for his men’s collection “Transform gegen Norm” hoping to shatter industrial monotony with the help of new silhouettes. “We hope that doors will open for Florian Wowretzko, to allow him to further develop and expand his potential,” says jury member Marcel Herrig (Unicut Design Limited, Shenzhen, China).

As an additional honor the projects by Claudia Tyborski (HAW Hamburg) and Maximilian Löw, Young sun Ko, Patricia Adler, Dilay Baris (all Hochschule für Künste Bremen/University of the Arts Bremen) were inducted into the Archive of the Stiftung der Deutschen Bekleidungsindustrie (German Fashion Industry Foundation). They, as well as the portfolios of all winning projects, are accessible to the public at the Sammlung Modebild, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Fashion Image Collection – National Museums in Berlin) – the world’s largest library and graphic collection on fashion and apparel culture and history.

Each winning collection received an additional prize, a photo shoot with renowned fashion photographer Gregor Hohenberg (Vogue, Elle, GQ, AD, etc.; Berlin). Furthermore, each project is promoted in a catalog (design: Christof Nardin, Vienna), at an exhibit booth at the largest global sports business platform, ISPO MUNICH 2013, and with the help of the trade show’s communication channels. Cash prizes totaled 5,000 Euro. The overall value of all prizes is approximately 80,000 Euro.

Members of the 2013 Jury
Margareta van den Bosch, Creative Adviser, H & M – Hennes & Mauritz, Stockholm

Marcel Herrig, Unicut Design Limited, Shenzhen, China

Dr. Adelheid Rasche, Leiterin der Sammlung Modebild, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Fashion Image Collection – National Museums in Berlin)
Joachim Schirrmacher, Creative Consultant, Berlin

Michael Sontag, Designer, Berlin

Robb Young, Fashion Journalist and Consultant, London

Media
Young Germany: 5.2.2013: „FASH 2013: Who is wearing the pants?“
A Shaded View on Fashion: 3.2.2013: „European Fashion Award 2013 at ISPO – and the Winners are…“