A budding fashion designer has won €10,000 in cash, thanks to the online fashion store SHEIN.
In February, SHEIN X launched an exciting search for emerging designer talent across Europe, supported by the Graduate Fashion Foundation.
Up for grabs was a cash prize of €10,000 to set up their own label, as well as the opportunity to sign with SHEIN to showcase their creative concept globally on the SHEIN website, plus an exclusive invitation to showcase their designs at the SHEIN X Fashion Show in Paris this June.
Entrants had some stiff competition, with 2,446 designers from across Europe applying for the lucrative competition.
Amy Sala, a young designer from Liverpool who is now based in Amsterdam, was crowned the winner of the incredible prize.
The designer revealed her design inspirations derive from a combination of the catwalk and current street style.
Amy also loves the Y2K fashion trends and wanted to combine oversized silhouettes with flattering, feminine mesh styles.
Speaking of her collection the designer said: “My collection is designed to be worn whenever and wherever – just as long as you feel positive and love the world around you!”
The designers had been asked to submit three full-look designs to be judged by a panel of industry experts – including Irish designer Colin Horgan.
Colin, who hails from Kerry, graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design, completed a masters degree in the world-renowned Royal College of Art in London.
The fashion designer has since showcased his work at London Fashion Week, and has worked with some of the biggest names in the showbiz industry – from Lady Gaga to Dua Lipa and Little Mix.
When asked what he was looking for in a winner, Colin revealed: “I am looking for someone with a clear point of view and an identity of who they are and what they are about.”
“It is really important the designer is someone who is aware of the commerciality of the product.”
The designer competition aligned with the second anniversary of SHEIN’s flagship incubator program, SHEIN X.
Over the last two years, SHEIN has invested more than US$55 million to empower nearly 3,000 aspiring designers and artists from more than 20 countries, supporting them in their journey to launch their own fashion collections to global audiences.
From only seven designers when the program launched in January 2021, the SHEIN X incubator program has grown to almost 3,000 designers and artists from around the world, launching nearly 2,000 collections with more than 25,000 original creations.
The SHEIN X program has a dedicated production line, involving dozens of professional manufacturing suppliers, to produce SHEIN X products.
