H&M has announced the names of the eight finalists of its 2013 design award following the judging of entries from 19 European design schools. They are:
- Alba Prat (Universität der Künste, Germany)
- Daniela Salazar Rodriguez (L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, France)
- Eleonora Bruno (Polimoda, Italy)
- Erik Litzén (Beckmans College of Design, Sweden)
- Maia Bergman (Central Saint Martins, UK)
- Mark Kenly Domino Tan (Design Skolen Kolding, Denmark)
- Minju Kim (Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium)
- Thom Barends (ArtEz Institute of the Arts in Arnhem, The Netherlands)
- Each finalist wins €5,000, whereas the overall winner will receive a prize of €50,000 and the chance to show his/her fashion collection during Stockholm Fashion Week. The winner will also develop pieces from his/her collection to be sold in selected H&M stores.
This year’s judging panel included H&M’s Head of Design Ann-Sofie Johansson, fashion designer Jonathan Saunders, editor-at-large of style.com Tim Blanks, photographer Sølve Sundsbø, stylist Leith Clark, blogger and photographer Hanneli Mustaparta, fashion journalist Kristopher Arden Houser and H&M’s Creative Advisor Margareta van den Bosch.