Minju Kim, a 26-year-old student at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, won the 2013 H&M Design Award.
Minju is a designer from South Korea who is now in her final masters year studying fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. She won the H&M Design Award 2013 with her BA collection titled "Dear My Friend", inspired by Japanese Manga cartoonist Junji Ito. The inspiration may be fantastical, but the work that went into the collection was incredibly serious.
The H&M Design Award judges were impressed by Minju's determination to make each piece as perfect as she could. When Minju graduates next year, she plans to gain experience through internships at established brands, before setting up a label of her own.
"I still can't believe it that I have won the H&M Design Award 2013. It's so amazing to be able to show at Mercedes-Benz Stockholm Fashion Week, and to experience what it's like to have a show all to yourself," Minju said. "It's such an amazing opportunity, and such a big surprise."
The winner of this year's H&M Design Award People's Prize was announced today as Alba Prat, who has studied at Universitat der Kunste, Berlin. The prize has been decided by visitors to the H&M Design Award website, who have been voting since January 16 for their favourite collection. Alba Prat receives a month's internship at Jonathan Saunders in London, giving her the chance to gain invaluable experience with one of fashion's hottest designers.