FASH 2022 / 8. September 2022

European Fashion Award FASH 2022 presented at Berlin Fashion Week

Three young fashion designers – one student and two graduates – were honoured with the European Fashion Award FASH 2022 during Berlin Fashion Week. The award, which is endowed with 5,000 euros, was presented together with a fashion show for the first time during the Neo Fashion Graduates Days in the Reinbeckhallen in Berlin-Oberschöneweide in front of over 300 guests.
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FASH 2022 / 8. September 2022

Viola Schmidt

1st Prize
European Fashion Award – FASH 2022
Category Undergraduates
Portfolio The “Bad/ bed story” collection is based on material experiments with knitwear, lace, old bed sheets, glue and ruffle techniques. It is inspired by dancing in the club, going home and arriving in one’s own bed. Graffiti stands for possible harassment. The white dress with red graffiti was made on a hand knitting machine and manipulated with glue. The pure white dress can be adjusted by straps.
Inspired by the circus, where the line between reality and illusion blurs, the six outfits “Dreamers Circus” were designed. This contrast is represented by the play of narrow and wide shapes as well as various materials. The dark blazer, for example, is made from deadstock and was accentuated with pink textile paint as well as a playful and detachable ruffle.
Our times are marked by climate change, consumption, covid and other crises. In order to find solutions, a hopeful view of the future is necessary to perceive the scope for action. The women- and menswear collection “Transparent Response” plays with the idea of clarity and uncertainty. It is a reminder to actively shape the future and that for this we need more transparency in the fashion industry to enable more conscious consumption.
Collection

Jury’s appraisal
 Viola Schmidt impresses with a purposeful creativity and a good limitation of ideas. Despite diverse inspirations and her wide range of excellently implemented techniques, she achieves a very coherent overall picture. Her qualification as a master tailor is evident in the very accurate craftsmanship and the coherent fits. Her beautiful portfolio is very neatly presented and easy to follow, making you want to see more of her work. Qualities that are much needed in the fashion industry.
Member of the jury Mela Bauer, Managing Director Fashionagency Melagence
Education 4th Semester, Hochschule Reutlingen (Reutlingen University), Annika Klaas
Prize 1,500 euros prize money, Singer Heavy Duty 4423 sewing machine
Contact violanaomi@t-online.de / @violanaomischmidt
Download Web: www.sdbi.de/download/2022-Viola-Schmidt-web.zip
Print: www.sdbi.de/download/2022-Viola-Schmidt-print.zip

FASH 2022 / 8. September 2022

Idan Yoav

1st Prize
European Fashion Award – FASH 2022
Category Bachelor
Nomads for Love The costume collection “Nomads for Love” is inspired by a variety of cultural influences. The main subject of the collection is focusing on nomadism and belonging. Festival culture and the practical utilities of camping are reflected in the choice of material, and the upcycling of tarpaulins and sleeping bags. The collection is a fictional traditional costume, designed for a queer nomadic tribe: “Nomads for Love”!
Applying the idea of ‚Queering Tradition’, queer does not only define sexual preferences but also refers to the distinction of norms in favour of diversity. Traditional elements and symbols are transformed to create new visual statements and perceptions of the costumes. The printed and embroidered ornaments play a special role in the five outfits as they are drawing from the designers own personal history. Elements from Greek antiquity, traditional handicrafts from the Jewish-Kurdish and Polish traditions meet. Modern influences have come from artists Judy Chicago and Keith Haring. The ornaments appear floral, but a closer inspection reveals a mix of queer sexual practices.
Collection

Jury’s appraisal
 Idan Yoav excels with an expressive costume design that convincingly combines tradition and modernity, as well as radiating an overflowing lust for life. The very independent silhouettes work well, the quilts and embroideries are of very high quality. In keeping with his career and training as an artist, professional dancer and fashion designer in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Paris, London and Berlin, Idan Yoav is able to virtuously combine a wide variety of influences into a coherent and mature artistic achievement and also justify it.
Member of the jury Joachim Schirrmacher, Creative Consultant
Education Bachelor – Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee, Prof. Doreen Schulz, Prof. Clara Leskovar
Prize 1,500 euros prize money, Singer Heavy Duty 4423 sewing machine
Contact idanyoav@hotmail.com / @Idan.Style
Download Bis zur Bereitstellung der Bilder zum Download bitte unter mail@sdbi.de
anfragen. Vielen Dank!
Web: www.sdbi.de/download/2022-Idan-Yoav-web.zip
Print: www.sdbi.de/download/2022-Idan-Yoav-print.zip

FASH 2022 / 8. September 2022

Lihi Mendel

2nd Prize
European Fashion Award – FASH 2022
Category Bachelor
The Space The collection “The Space” investigates the term “Pre-Israeli Orientalism” and explores the complexity of Orientalism as it developed among the Zionist immigrants in Palestine at the beginning of the 20th century. The visual inspiration came from photographs by Abraham Soskin showing Jewish families in traditional Palestinian dress. They speak of the longing to assimilate with the East and to attain authentic, indigenous roots. The silhouettes are hybrids between East and West: traditional Palestinian and Western dresses. In their constructed form, they are flat and change their dynamic when worn. The silk and denim fabrics were printed. The technique of the cynaotype was used for this, at the time one of the first methods of developing photographs. The prints show wheat, oats, and eucalyptus in harmony with the local landscape. Eucalyptus was brought to Palestine from Europe by the Zionists to dry out the swamps.
Collection

Jury’s appraisal
 Lihi Mendel has designed very beautiful and well-developed silhouettes. The grass prints are convincing with their good colour feeling and have been excellently realised on different fabric qualities. The result is fashion of high desirability that can be worn for many years. The simple yet strong portfolio portions the mood photos well and makes you want to see the designs in real.
Member of the jury Arne Eberle, Arne Eberle press + sales und publisher ΠMagazine
Education Bachelor, Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee, Prof. Heike Selmer
Prize 1,700 euros prize money, Singer Heavy Duty 4423 sewing machine
Contact mendel.lihi@gmail.com / @LihiMendel
Download Web: www.sdbi.de/download/2022-Lihi-Mendel-web.zip
Print: www.sdbi.de/download/2022-Lihi-Mendel-print.zip

FASH 2019 – Finalist / 5. July 2021

European Fashion Award FASH presented at Frankfurt Fashion Week

European Fashion Award FASH presented at Frankfurt Fashion Week
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FASH 2021 / 5. July 2021

Aylin Tomta

1st Prize
European Fashion Award – FASH 2021
Hylemorph Identities are fluid moments. The starting point for this final project is Aristotle’s question of how ‘becoming’ is possible in the sense of creation and change. He believed that ‘being’ is created from a compound of form (‘morphe’) and matter (‘hyle’). The collection “Hylemorph” questions the stereotypes and boundaries of gender identities, that is, gender as a social and cultural construct. The strength of fashion lies in its ability to shift meanings. Rather than just man and woman, it offers a diversity of gender identities. With its help, it is possible to cross boundaries in one’s self-expression and explore different nuances. It is a highly relevant everyday form of “doing gender”. And therein lies its queer potential. It has the ability to change our thinking and thus also our society.The starting point for this 20-piece gender-fluid menswear collection are the archetypes of classic men’s fashion and haute couture. In a move to create new forms for suits, culottes, shirts, polo shirts, blousons, coats and trenchcoats, the classic silhouettes are dissolved and implied only by seams, stratified or printed, whilst sections are inserted in pattern pieces. This experiment with the spatial impact of clothing paves the way for completely new perceptions.
Collection

Jury’s appraisal
 Aylin Tomta has delved into the depths of pattern design to create perfectly crafted and sculpted garments with new details, individual fashion statements and sophistication: stylish, chic and cool! A powerful collection that is full of poetry. It invites the eye to linger and speaks to our emotions. Her exaggerated fashion overcomes tradition to conjure up a completely new and modern male image that is masculine without appearing affected or sliding into crossdressing. Although these are showpieces, they make the wearer feel comfortable and look good. The examination of gender as a social construct is at the heart of this work. Her understanding of fashion moves beyond heteronormative ideas where fashion is all about sexual, that is, heterosexual seduction. The documentation of the creative process and the fashion photos are among the best. It is very rare to encounter such a mature and on-point final project. It is also very pleasing and impressive to see how this extremely talented designer has evolved since winning the European Fashion Award FASH 2017. Again, this is very rare. Paris is calling! Member of the jury Carl Tillessen (Chefanalyst, Deutsches Mode-Institut)
Education Masters – FH Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Meiken Rau
Prize EUR 2,000
Contact aylin.tomta@googlemail.com / https://werkschau.gestaltung-bielefeld.de/hylemorph
Download Web: www.sdbi.de/download/2021-Aylin-Tomta-web.zip
Print: www.sdbi.de/download/2021-Aylin-Tomta-print.zip

FASH 2021 / 5. July 2021

Lars Witkowski

1st Prize
European Fashion Award – FASH 2021
Category Students
Oddity 1400
The 14th century “Golden Panel” from the Benedictine Abbey of Lüneburg has been restored to its former glory and has been on display at the Landesmuseum Niedersachsen since 2019. It is the starting point for the summer collection “Oddity 1400”. The interior of the “Golden Panel” conceals 23 miracle chambers which were once filled with precious relics and treasures made from rubies, emeralds and pearls, exotic silk fabrics and scriptures.The thistle in the altarpiece symbolises Mary’s milk and is said to have healing powers. This is the source of the digital print that characterises the collection. The green is derived from the representations of nature, the cobalt blue, red and white from the robes depicted on the altarpiece. The elongated silhouettes display layering with a kaftan shirt, dress, trousers and a coverall, made from organic cotton fabrics and jersey. They draw their inspiration from the vestments on the “Golden Panel” and are gender neutral.
Collection

Jury’s appraisal Lars Witkowski has successfully and convincingly translated his inspiration from the 14th century “Golden Panel” into a modern collection. It meets the current need for smart, relaxed fashion that hovers between the chic and the casual. This project interprets robes as traditional garments and in doing so, offers a stylish alternative on the hotter days of summer. The styling is just as compelling.

Member of the jury Kerstin Strauss, Creative Director, Strauss
Education 10th semester – Hochschule Hannover, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Prof. Martina Glomb
Prize EUR 1,00
Contact lars.witkowski@gmx.de / @_Lars_Witkowski
Download Web: www.sdbi.de/download/2021-Lars-Witkowski-web
Print: www.sdbi.de/download/2021-Lars-Witkowski-print.zip

FASH 2021 / 5. July 2021

Helena Wieser

1st Prize
European Fashion Award – FASH 2021
Category Bachelor
Wollust Itchy and fluffy, dominance and subjugation. The collection “Wollust” explores the wool fetish of men and women and transforms selected inclinations into an aesthetic that also appeals to the general public. The “Woolies’” predilection for corsets, balaclavas, bondage, cable stitch, rib knits and specific colours have been translated into six outfits. In line with the fetish, the outfits are knitted in mohair, lambswool and alpaca yarns. Metal rings are a reference to the practices of bondage and S&M. The garments are all fully fashioned and are therefore made without waste, either on a manual knitting machine or by hand.
Collection

Jury statement The renewal of fashion is often rooted in the underground scene. Take, for example, Gaultier’s bra for Madonna or Claudia Skoda, who in the 1970s put the sexy into knitwear, and whose work can be admired in the “dressed to thrill” exhibition at Berlin’s Kulturforum. In this instance, the “Woolies” have a fetish for wool. Helena Wieser’s examination of knitwear is genuinely new and provides an important stimulus for a genre that is all too often bogged down by tradition. Knitwear is no longer just warm but is also light and fashionable. The onlooker feels compelled to hold, touch and feel these garments. This collection is nothing short of inspiring and whets the appetite for fashion. No collection can be expected to do more than that.
Member of the jury Joel Horwitz, Design Director, Fila Europe
Education Masters – Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle / Prof. Lars Paschke
Prize EUR  2,000
Contact helenawieser@gmail.com / @helenawieser_
Download Web: www.sdbi.de/download/2021-Helena-Wieser-web.zip
Print: www.sdbi.de/download/2021-Helena-Wieser-print.zip

FASH 2020 / 5. July 2021

Carla Renée Loose

1st Prize
European Fashion Award – FASH 2020
Category Students
Es war alles Gegenwart, die Zukunft fand ausschließlich in Science Fiction statt

(It was all present, the future took place solely in science fiction)

 In today’s society, the glorification of youth is all around us. It is a symbol of success and efficiency, dynamism and high performance. In a life filled with routine and self-control, we yearn to feel alive again and have a strong desire for youthful passion and emotionality and for living in the moment. And yet, rather than upholding this youthful curiosity and spirit, it is usually reduced to the superficial by the world of mass media and advertising. The inner striving for freedom and authenticity is suppressed by the desire for a security that does not exist; emotions are replaced by consumption. As a consequence, we increasingly move away from who we really are. We convince ourselves that it is better not to have regrets than to feel too much. A conversation around this contradiction barely takes place, culminating in in a lack of critical expression and protest. As a result, we experience conformity rather than enthusiasm, imitation rather than the genuine, laziness rather than originality – all of which are diametrically opposed to our incessant longing for youthful exuberance. If we maintain an unbiased youthful outlook, listen to our desire to savour the here and now and think, feel, and act intuitively, we can preserve our freedoms without losing sight of who we are and without relinquishing our powers of self-determination. We can acknowledge that current norms, ideals and conventions are not the only option, and we can start carving out new alternatives and shaping our future.

The womenswear collection “Es war alles Gegenwart, die Zukunft fand ausschließlich in Science Fiction statt” visualises youthful emotionality, impulsiveness, euphoria and contradiction. Contrasting colours, shapes and materials, volumes and depths, transparency and opulence characterise this collection of experimental textile and knitted designs.
Collection

Jury’s appraisal Carla Renée Loose has clear conceptual and creative strengths. Her profound, on-point, and cleverly articulated analysis of the glorification of youth is compelling and provides some important answers for society. This is also because her work is founded on her research of classical literature, which has become quite a rarity. In doing so, she has created a theoretical work that merits its own reward. Her artistic illustrations display her creative prowess in a modern guise. She takes hold of our roots and carries them into the present day, creating distinctive clothing that women like to wear; clothing that is coupled with a youthfulness embedded in the here and now.
Member of the jury Joachim Schirrmacher, Creative Consultant
Education Bachelor – HTW University of Applied Sciences Berlin, Prof. Anke Schlöder
Master – Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee / Prof. Patrick Rietz
Prize EUR 2,000
Contact carla.loose@outlook.de / @carlarenee_
Download Web: www.sdbi.de/download/2021-Carla-Loose-web.zip
Print: www.sdbi.de/download/2021-Carla-Loose-print.zip

FASH 2020 / 5. July 2021

Erato Fotopoulos

1st Prize
European Fashion Award – FASH 2020
Category Bachelor
[fi:] The collection [fi:] is an interpretation of the philosophical concept of fluidity. Philosopher Heraclitus coined the term “panta rhei” which describes life as a river: Being is becoming and becoming is being. Age-old definitions become blurred, familiar forms melt away.Archetypes derived from the looks of Acid jazz bands and their freely flowing music, such as Digable Planets, Galliano, and Brand New Heavies, form the foundation of the “static” element of each outfit. This is complemented with a fluid, transformable aspect in which the volumes along the straps can be shifted freely around the body. There is no right or wrong. The clear texture of a classical tartan (digital print on cotton) is distorted by reflective foil or alienated by random bleaching. With the garments in constant motion, the tartan pattern loses its texture and becomes blurred. The thermochromic colour (screen print) reacts to body temperature, changing from petrol when low to neon green as it rises. Depending on the wearer and situation, the colours thus also become fluid.
Collection

Jury’s appraisal Erato Fotopoulos creates something that is only rarely achieved: she combines sportswear with the sophistication of fashion. As she experiments with volume and bold prints, she balances the casual with the chic and does so with such virtuosity that it feels entirely natural. Speaking to the emotions, the garments are photogenic and make the wearer feel modern and cool. They are as pleasant and comfortable as pyjamas, yet the wearer looks and feels well dressed. An art reminiscent of designer Haider Ackermann.

Finally, she overcomes gender boundaries without seeming insincere. Despite the sophistication, pieces such as the T-shirts certainly have commercial appeal. A look that is full of personality and is perfectly in tune with lockdowns, loungewear and the urgent need for casual clothing that incorporates new details, individual fashion statements, and sophistication. From the distinctive idea to the outstanding documentation and the innovative cuts, this is an excellent piece of work!  A great talent with huge potential in a strong cohort.
Member of the jury Kristian Schuller, Photographer, Berlin/New York
Education Bachelor – FH Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences / Prof. Meiken Rau
Prize EUR 2,000
Contact
Download Web: www.sdbi.de/download/2021-Erato-Fotopoulos-web.zip
Print: www.sdbi.de/download/2021-Erato-Fotopoulos-print.zip