H&M has revealed the eight finalists for its 2014 Design Awards. Each finalist, chosen from design schools around the world as one of the most promising talents of their generation, has won €5,000.
"I am so excited by the finalists for the H&M Design Award 2014," commented Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M's creative head of design. "Each has their own unique creativity, amazing technical skills, and the vision to push fashion forwards. I can't wait to see who will win!"
The winner will receive €50,000 and the chance to show the winning collection at Mercedes-Benz Stockholm Fashion Week on January 28. The winner will also develop selected pieces from their collection to be sold at selected H&M stores this autumn.
The Finalists
Eddy Anemian
24 year old Eddy is from Saint Chamond in France, and is currently studying at La Cambre in Brussels. For the H&M Design Award, he presented his 4th year collection, inspired by Tilda Swinton in the movie I Am Love, and the French painter Ingres.
Camilla Blase Woodman
Camilla, 26, was born in Bristol in the UK, and studied knitwear at the Royal College of Art in London. Her collection takes inspiration from the dystopian vision of the future found in the 1988 movie They Live, resulting in graphic metallic knits matched with fuzzy knits inspired by white noise.
Jia Hua
Chinese-born Jia, 25, studied on the MFA program at Parsons in New York. Jia's collection was inspired by artists such as Dan Flavin, Mickalene Thomas and Caroline Larsen. She mixes traditional craft techniques with contemporary sportswear, bringing different types of materials together, such as chiffon with sporty meshes.
Devon Halfnight Leflufy
Originally from Vancouver, Canada, 29 year old Devon recently graduated from the Masters year at the Royal Academy in Antwerp. His luxury streetwear for men has already been stocked by stores such as Opening Ceremony and RA.
Xiao Li
26-year old Xiao Li is from China, and studied for her MA at the Royal College of Art in London. Her interest is in the garments of the future, combining silicone into knitwear to create innovative fabrics. She also makes moulds of her knitted fabrics, and dips real knitted fabrics into silicone before it dries, always with an interest in wearability.
Lina Michal
Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, 25-year old Lina has recently graduated from Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm. Her collection is inspired by nature, and takes decorative elements from Swedish traditions such as Midsummer and crown brides, using organic volumes and surface manipulation.
Sophie Sälekari
22-year old Sophie was born in Helsinki, and studied at the city's Aalto University School of Art, Design and Architecture. In her Russian folk-inspired collection presented to the H&M Design Award, she explored colour, print and texture, and how to use fabrics in unexpected ways.
Henriette Tilanus
Henriette, 23, was born in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and graduated from the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Arnhem. Henriette's collection is titled "Let The Dust Settle In", inspired by the eccentric style of Edith Sitwell, using textile experiments such as embroidering on plastic and creating abstract flowers from found materials.