Across Europe, budding fashion designers and students have been competing to win €10,000 and be part of the SHEIN X Fashion Show this June. Following extensive judging by four key names in the fashion industry, among them HELLO! Fashion Editor Jill Wanless, we can exclusively reveal the overall winner and nine other finalists.
As part of its mission to showcase the talents of tomorrow, the leading etailer invited contestants to submit digital sketches of an original three-piece capsule collection inspired by the chosen theme, Endless Summer.
Take our poll:
Meet the Judges
The top ten collections were shortlisted by a board of fashion industry experts who then crowned their ultimate winner. Here they share their criteria and advice for aspiring designers...
(Left to right: Adrien Roberts, Julien Fournié, Jill Wanless, Colin Hordgan)
Jill Wanless, Editor of HELLO! Fashion, London, UK
“This sort of prize money can be life-changing for many young people. One day they may be drawing something like this and the next they could be launching their own brand. It is really important to have platforms like SHEIN X because there is so much raw talent out there. My advice to young designers would be make the most of every opportunity, ask questions and try to learn as much as you can.”
Adrien Roberts, International Director of Education at Accademia Costume & Moda, Rome, Italy
“Throughout the competition I’ve been looking for personal identity, authenticity and a narrative that is expressed well. This programme reaches different individuals and is not like any other challenge. My advice to the designers has been to be curious, challenge yourself, keep learning and experimenting”.
Julien Fournié, Founder of Julien Fournié Haute Couture, Paris, France
“I want designers to push their limits: work work work! I’ve been looking for creativity and urge them to reinvent themselves everyday”.
Colin Hordgan, Independent Designer, Kerry, Ireland
“I’ve been looking for someone with a point of view, a clear identity of who they are and what they are about, and someone who is aware of the commerciality of the product. I am an independent designer but I didn’t have opportunities SHEIN X this when I started up. I love the idea of mentoring, education and nurturing emerging talent.”
And now HELLO! can exclusively reveal the deserving winner of SHEIN X: Amy Sala
Amy Sala, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Amy Sala is an aspiring artist and designer from Amsterdam who wanted to express positivity and love through her interpretation of the competition’s theme, “Endless Summer”. By incorporating acid hues and pastels into her Y2K-inspired collection titled “Dopamine Days”, she captured the spirit of a never-ending summer vacation.
The SHEIN judges said...
"Amy delivered the most contemporary concept. Amy wanted her designs to convey positivity and self-love. She considered different skin tones and shapes in her designs - she is thinking about an audience and celebrity their diversity."
And that’s not all. The remaining top ten winners will receive a prize fund ranging from €8,000 for second and third place to €5,000 for the rest of the contestants to put towards their fashion pursuits.
Meet the runners up:
In addition to joining the next SHEIN fashion show in Paris, they’ll also receive mentorship sessions from the professional judges, and a commission from the sale of their garments on the etailer's platform, which will be available to purchase from the SHEIN website in June.
In second place is Harry:
Harry Giovanni Paredes Moncada, Italy
Harry was inspired by a contrasting colour palette to create a collection of outfits that complement a spectrum of locations, from the city to the outdoors.
"Harry's work is contemporary and exciting. Great learnings from day one's mentoring session with adding shape during the design task. Would love to see more consistency throughout the collection in the final presentation in Paris!"
In third place is María:
María Monila, Spain
María lives by the sea, and she wanted her collection to resemble the sea foam on the shore. She designed her looks with organza ruffles to resemble the lapping waves.
"This was one of the most romantic entries. María's description of sea foam on shorelines transported us instantly to a summer beach, which showed us she really studied the brief."
Sonia Sara Pinna, Italy
Sonia Sara wanted to capture her favourite parts of nature, so she designed a collection to reflect the vibrancy of citrus fruits and the sea.
Léa Berthaud, France
Léa wanted her designs to transgress seasons and occasions and was inspired by blue and beige to create a series of looks reminiscent of the beach.
Carla Castro, Greece
Carla was inspired by the colours of Mykonos and Santorini to design a bohemian collection in shades of ocean blue.
Daniela Ricciardelli, Italy
Daniela was inspired by the flavours and colours of the African sunset to create a fiery design, using light fabrics to enhance the beauty of the female figure.
Blanca Martin Barcina, Berlin
Blanca was inspired by the Mediterranean sunset to design a collection tinged with the warmth of the summer and eternal youth.
Stephan Bakos Hernandez, Germany
Stephan was inspired by wild femininity and freedom to design a flowing collection in shades of gold to capture the light of summer.
Delphine Ragot, France
Delphine designed her collection to reflect the summer colours and vibrant prints of the famous festival in California, Coachella.
To read more about the SHEIN X Incubator Programme visit sheingroup.com/shein-x-incubator-program/