PREMIUM YOUNG DESIGNERS

INTERNATIONAL, ACCOMPLISHED, AND FUTURE READY

For over a decade, encouraging fresh talent has been a mission dear to PREMIUM’s heart. The trade show organisers have crowned the most promising up-and-coming designers who have been chosen in each of the well-known award categories: Womenswear, Menswear and Accessories, as well as Activewear.

PREMIUM will guide the winning young designers over the next two seasons on their path to success with a comprehensive award package designed to support them on both B2B and B2C levels. In the first season, having a presence at the fashion trade show will provide B2B exposure, as will inclusion in PREMIUM’s internationally focused PR. In connection with the ordering season, the winners will also be featured in a special showcase in the display windows of Galeries Lafayette, coming face-to-face with shoppers in downtown Berlin. During PREMIUM, a shuttle service will transport visitors from the trade show to the doors of Galeries Lafayette at Französische Straße 23.

PREMIUM YOUNG DESIGNERS Spring/Summer 2018

WOMENSWEAR

ROBERTA EINER
www.robertaeiner.com

Roberta Einer moved from Tallinn, Estonia, to England at a young age in order to dedicate herself fully to her passion for fashion. After studying Art & Design at Central Saint Martins in London she successfully completed a degree in Fashion Design at the University of Westminster and founded her brand, named after herself, in September 2015. She worked briefly at luxury label Balmain, which turned her previously minimalist aesthetic completely on its head. Roberta learned there just how much fun unorthodox design can be. Since then she has adapted traditional couture techniques and breathed new life into them in her own distinctive, vibrant and playful way. She experiments with ornamental patterns, expressive colours and imaginative appliqué. Her designs are unique – adorned over and over with opulent decoration and illustrative, tonal embroidery.

MENSWEAR

DIMA LEU
www.dimaleu.com

Dima Leu takes sportswear to a new level. Born in Moldova and raised in Italy, maverick Dima completed his Fashion Design degree in 2013 at the University of Venice and subsequently developed his Sport Suit project. This project explored the boundary between suits and tracksuits and resulted in the development of tailored sportswear – perfectly cut, sporty and uncomplicated two-pieces with repeating elements such as rubber straps, white zips and drawstrings. Dima Leu’s understanding of fashion originates from his keen interest in non-verbal communication. The way in which people interact and communicate through their clothes has always fascinated him. For Dima Leu, clothing is a powerful tool through which we can explore and express our personal identities.

ACCESSOIRES

EJING ZHANG
www.ejingzhang.com

It was when she was studying for her Textile Design degree at the Royal College of Art in London that Ejing Zhang perfected the technique for creating her unique pieces of jewellery. Layers of wafer-thin resin threads are cast and then cut into sheets. In this way she creates surrealistic compositions composed of rich colours and organic patterns. This unusual process has won her international attention – and given her the chance to design trophies for the Global Fashion Awards in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Ejing officially launched her jewellery line in September 2015. Since then her brand has quickly grown to become a lifestyle collection that, today, is sold in boutiques from New York to London and Shanghai. Her latest designs feature vibrant colours and dynamic threads are artfully translated into bold and everyday pieces of jewellery. Inspired by simple architectural lines, rugged landscapes and sculptural forms, Zhang’s designs combine resin and metal to create miniature works of art.

SEASON´S SPECIAL

PYRATES
www.pyrates.ch

Synergy between fashion, nature and technology: the Swiss label Pyrates develops super-smart textiles that heal, soothe and look after the body. The intelligent properties of the Pyratex® fabric are neither injected nor added, but rather incorporated naturally into the fabric. Because of this, they cannot be washed out – nor do they have an expiry date. Founder Regina Polanco is the woman behind the label. Together with her Creative Director, Zuzana Kralova, she has designed a smart activewear collection with unique features – for example, unisex hoodies that soothe the muscles and strengthen the immune system, or shorts that moisturise the skin with seaweed extract. The young pioneer in smart fabrics researches new technology daily: “I believe that the future of fashion is strongly tied up with health and well-being. Just as super-foods are the way food is evolving, smart fashion is the logical evolution of fashion”.