Berlin-based fashion designer Hien Le showed his Autumn/Winter 2013 menswear and womenswear collection during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin a few weeks ago. Having sought inspiration in the abstract paintings by Mark Rothko, Hien Le created a collection that fuses delicate colours and prints, contrasting fabrics, elegant pleating, discreet cuts, and subtle details that create a simple and contemporary silhouette.
Originally from Laos, Hien Le trained as a clothing tailor in Berlin and worked across different areas of the fashion industry, including stints at French Marie Claire magazine, with fashion designer Veronique Branquinho in Antwerp and at trade shows in Berlin. After graduating in Fashion Design from Berlin’s University of Applied Sciences in 2008, he worked in sales for Agency V. After two years in this job, Hien Le decided to use his experience in designing, manufacturing and selling to found his own fashion label, which saw its debut with a collection for Spring/Summer 2011 unveiled during Berlin Fashion Week in the Summer of 2010. His third collection won the third prize of the fashion contest ‘Start your Fashion Business’ in July 2011, enabling him to show on the main runway during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin and being nominated as ‘Best Newcomer’ by the international fashion trade magazine Sportswear International.