Central Saint Martins graduate wins H&M Design Award 2017

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Nov 17, 2016

Richard Quinn, a Central Saint Martins graduate, has been announced as the winner of the H&M Design Award 2017.

Selected from eight international finalists by a panel led by H&M’s creative advisor Ann-Sofie Johansson, the 26-year old designer impressed the jury with his striking womenswear designs and his ideas for a sustainable fashion industry.

“We all fell in love with Richard. He has a clear vision for his brand, and a real wow factor in his collections. Richard is deeply creative, with a very holistic view of the environment, and he’s a worthy winner of the H&M Design Award 2017,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative advisor.

The London-born designer prints all of his own fabrics using ethical processes, and plans to open a print studio that will become a creative hub for other young designers in London. 

“Richard Quinn has the makings of something really great. There is a depth of creativity, with so many different ideas, a real commercial potential and also the sustainable thinking that will help him build a real values-based brand,” says Imran Amed, editor in chief of Business of Fashion and jury member.

Other members of the panel included Pernille Teisbaek, founder and creative director of Social Zoo, Zanita Whittington, creative director of Azalle and Zanita Studio, Yasmin Sewell, fashion director of Style.com, Hannah Jinkins, winner of the H&M Design Award 2016 and Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor to H&M.

The winner was announced to an audience of international fashion editors and stylists at an event in London on Wednesday 16 November.

By winning the award, Richard Quinn will receive a grant of €50,000, one-year’s mentorship from H&M, and the chance to have a part of his collection sold in selected H&M stores in Autumn 2017.

“It means so much to win the H&M Design Award. It helps me to open a studio with an ethical way of working, which I think is the future of fashion. I want to create my own collection, as well as offer my generation a creative hub, supporting real craft in London,” says Richard Quinn, winner of the H&M Design Award.

The other finalists were also given €5,000 each. They were: Constance Blackaller from the University of Westminster, UK; Yu Li Song from the Samsung Art & Design Institute South Korea; Alex Huang from the Parsons School of Design, USA; Amir Marc from the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Israel; Max Luo from Central Saint Martins, UK; YuTyng Chiu from Institute Francais de la Mode, France; and Chen Peng from the London College of Fashion, UK.