XIMON LEE : Winner of the H&M Design Award
Recent Parsons graduate Ximon Lee, real name Simon Dongxing Lee, winner of this year’s H&M Design Award is a promising new design talent - and a name to familiarise yourself with in 2015.
The 24-year-old New York based designer that grew up in Hong Kong, China, made history at the end of last month at Stockholm’s annual fashion week as he became the first U.S, and first menswear designer to win the prestigious Design Award, chosen from 400 applicants by an international jury in London.
In a statement the young designer said: "The H&M Award means so much to me at the beginning of my career - I cannot imagine how I'd start my own label without it.” H&M have previously collaborated with international fashion houses including Alexander Wang, Maison Martin Margiela and Isabel Marant.
Pushing the boundaries of menswear with his big cuts, architectural shapes and denim textiles, Lee had previously been noted as one of the New York designers to watch after winning Parsons Menswear Designer of the Year award in 2014. His graduation collection explored the contrast between synthetic and organic textures, inspired by the documentary titled “Children of Leningradsky”.
“Oversized, ill-fitted and layered clothes on these orphans are keys to survive in cold Russian winter. However, the unexpected mixture of materials and the contrast between synthetic and organic textures from these found clothes are pieces of art and love.” Lee said on the collection.
The designer is now concentrating on launching his own menswear label. He takes home the €50,000 prize fund, and gains a period of mentorship which will offer an opportunity to develop select pieces from his line for sale globally at H&M beginning October of this year.
