H&M's Next Big Design Collaboration

From startup costs to marketing, launching a fashion line can be extremely challenging. That’s why H&M, which is famous for its designer collaborations, decided to do something about it. In 2013, the company started a program, which awards nearly $60,000 dollars to two young up-and-comers to create key pieces from their collection, which will then be sold at select H&M boutiques worldwide. The eight finalists were carefully selected from the top design schools from Europe, Asia and the United States. Each meets with the jury, which consists of industry insiders and influencers. This year’s group includes singer Lily Allen (who also happens to be a muse of Karl Lagerfeld) and Lucinda Chambers, British Vogue’s fashion director. Stayed tuned on January 27 where the winners will be announced during Stockholm Fashion Week.

Yahoo Style got to speak with two of the finalists Andrea Juapei and Ximon Lee who both currently reside in New York City.

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Yahoo Style: Having interned at places like DVF, Phillip Lim and Edun, how that has influenced your own brand?

Andrea Juapei: It was a great opportunity to gain first-hand experience and be directly involved in the day-to-day operations. It opened my eyes not just to the design process but also to various other aspects of the business. What I took away is the importance of striking a balance between creativity and commerce.

YS: Having already had a successful label in Beijing, what made you move to New York?

AJ: I went to school at Parsons but I also wanted to be in New York since it’s one of the fashion capitals and home of a lot of young fashion brands. New York alone embodies a lot of the values and characteristics that I associate with America: energy, positivity, freedom and celebration of individualism. I think certain elements of my graduate collection definitely reflected these attributes. The title of the collection itself “I AM WHAT I [AM]” is an expression that I associate with American fashion.

YS: Who are the biggest fashion influencers?

AJ: I think Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons is extremely influential in fashion. Street photographers such as Tommy Ton also have a big influence as they essentially helped democratize fashion. Artists such as Lady Gaga and Rihanna are also worth mentioning.

YS: If you can dress one celebrity, who would it be?

AJ: Phoebe Philo is definitely a celebrity in fashion and I would be thrilled to see wear my collection. Her spirit, character and the sense of style are definitely what I admire and strive for.

Courtesy of Ximon Lee

Yahoo Style: You interned at brands like Calvin Klein and Phillip Lim. What did you learn working there?

Ximon Lee: I learned about working with deadlines, collaborating, and communicating with teams. I can’t imagine how I would move forward without these experiences.

YS: Who are the biggest fashion influencers?

XL: Raf Simons and Nicolas Ghesquiere are two designers whom I have always adored. They’re constantly introducing new ideas to the world of fashion.

YS: If you can dress one celebrity in your garments, who would it be and why?

XL: I don’t really have an idol or celebrity in mind but I would love to take the challenge of dressing my father.