Active – Performance Sportswear

Sports invoke pure emotions: victory and loss, suffering, despair, euphoria, pain, or relief. Sports have seeped into almost all areas of life, even fashion, yet performance sportswear does not play a very significant role in fashion design schools. Performance sportswear offers appealing challenges with enormous potential for innovation. Each sports discipline has different motion profiles, values and identification factors with their own special code. Innovative materials and new manufacturing methods, often leading to a new kind of aesthetic, have a lot of impact. The challenge is increased even more by issues like ultra-light equipment, protection, specialized designs for women or seniors, or ecofriendly and society-appropriate apparel.

The European Fashion Award – FASH 2012 featuring the title “Active – Performance Sportswear” is looking for sportswear for competitive, endurance, training (exercise) or fitness sports (physical activity), combining the best possible function with an appropriate level of fashion, all wrapped up in meaningful and appropriate design. The selection of the sports discipline and skill level – professional or amateur – is the participant’s choice. Simple sportswear, meaning apparel with a sporty look, is not acceptable. Thanks to its complexity “Performance Sportswear” is a particularly interesting subject for inter-disciplinary projects or collaboration between different segments such as fashion and industrial design, yet also the garment technology sector, as well as textile and communication design.

Briefing

1. Analysis

The first part of the project to be submitted must include an independent analysis of the selected sports discipline. Participants shall fully identify on more than just a quantitative level what athletes want, aspire to and prefer. Required is an analysis of the sequence of motion and essential functions, an understanding of the specific culture of the selected sports, as well as a personal view – whether in the streets or in the locker rooms. Analysis  results must be complemented and documented by photos taken by the student him/herself. Media such as blogs or fashion magazines are not acceptable. Secondly, the independent analysis shall be supported by research using appropriate publications such as market studies, books, or articles.

2. Concept

The next step is the establishment of the concept for a collection on the topic “Active – Performance Sportswear” based on the analysis. The organizers are looking for challenging designs; original and coherent; convincingly and innovatively combining function and fashion. They can be geared to the market, but should offer more than just a new trend. This requires a well-thought-out concept and planning, including the reflection of social, economic, cultural and political processes.

3. Design

Based on this established concept the third part of the project shall interpret the results in a collection of a minimum of four outfits. The designs shall include all layers of apparel; including undergarments (base or skin layer), warming or protective layer, depending on the selected sport. One completely finished outfit must be submitted to the jury. Award winners will be required to complete a second outfit for the photo shoot. You may select any sports discipline. Complementing accessories are permitted. Depending on the analysis, the participant may choose whether to design for professionals or amateurs, women or men. There is also no restriction on the selection of the season.

Jury 2012

Members of the 2012 Jury

Stefan Bogner, CEO Factor Product, Munich

Clemens Deilmann, Head of Design, Gore Bike Wear, Munich

Ivonne Fehn, Fashion Director, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, Munich

Marcel Herrig, Unicut Design Limited, Shenzhen, China

Detlev Maaß, Divisional VP, Sport Scheck, Munich

Joachim Schirrmacher, Creative Consultant, Berlin

Awardees

The Winners Euroepan Fashion Award – FASH 2012

1st Prize
Kristina Mora and Alexander Brenk

Special Award Gore Bike Wear
Margarita Ruiz Velázquez

Special Mention
Hildemieke Vis

Special Mention
Jörn Wonneberger