LONDON — H&M on Tuesday revealed the eight finalists of this year’s Design Award, having announced the return of the fresh graduate-focused competition in January after a five-year hiatus.
The finalists come from schools in Tokyo, London, Paris, Antwerp, Brussels and Florence, and work across womenswear, menswear and designs that cross both.
They are Chico Yu from Bunka Fashion Graduate University; Macy Grimshaw and Ennis Finnerty Mackay from Central Saint Martins; Evelina Kryvopust from Polimoda; Fantin Delattre Pirenne from École Nationale Superieure des Arts Visuels de La Cambre; Jessica Lin from Institut Français de la Mode, and Yichun Liu and Yvonne Schichtel from the Royal Academy of Antwerp.
Their collections draw on subjects ranging from love and memory to London’s overlooked streets, Hong Kong, a mother’s story, the Arte Povera movement and archaeologist Marija Gimbutas. Together, the works reflect a range of personal perspectives and approaches to craft.
Ann-Sofie Johansson
Courtesy
Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative adviser and head of design at H&M, said the finalists were selected from more than 1,000 applicants from more than 60 leading fashion schools worldwide, and that narrowing the field to eight finalists was “super, super tough.”
She added that the selection process looked for creative vision, craftsmanship and a coherent body of work, as well as a distinctive voice that leaves the jury curious about what the designer might do next. Each of the eight finalists will receive a 10,000-euro endowment to support the next step in their career.
“Selecting this year’s finalists has been genuinely exciting. Each of their portfolios captures exactly the spirit of creativity, craftsmanship and innovation we set out to champion when we relaunched the award,” Johansson continued.
The winner, to be chosen at a ceremony in London on Nov. 18 by a jury including Paloma Elsesser, Beka Gvishiani, Ib Kamara, Calum Knight, Emma Chopova, Laura Lowena and Hillary Taymour, will receive 150,000 euros and a yearlong tailored mentorship covering production, marketing and public relations, sustainability and circularity. The winner’s collection will also be produced and sold in selected H&M stores worldwide and online.
Daniel Ervér, chief executive officer of H&M Group, said bringing back the H&M Design Award is “a natural next step for us in supporting young talents.”
“We know starting out in fashion today takes more than just talent, so we’re putting real support behind it. Having the winning collection being sold in selected H&M stores worldwide and online is another great way for us to liberate fashion and to use our scale and platform to support a young designer, but also a way for our customers to experience new emerging talents,” he added.
For 2026, the award is also launching a scholarship program with Central Saint Martins. Two U.K. or international students accepted onto the BA fashion course will receive support throughout their three-year studies, while two final-year students will receive maintenance scholarships annually for three years.
Previous winners of the H&M Design Award have included Minju Kim, Ximon Lee, Hannah Jinkins, Stefan Cooke and Priya Ahluwalia.