Young Designer of the Year 2020 Ervin Latimer wants to highlight minorities

Ervin Latimer, a fashion designer studying at Aalto University, has won the Young Designer of the Year 2020 competition. According to the jury, the winning work is bold and has a story to tell.

The competition, held for the 26th time this year, is for fashion design students. This year the task was to design a multi-purpose hybrid garment that fights against the disposable culture. Students were expected to design clothing that changes according to the situation and needs.

In Latimer’s collection, by combining garments one can build dozens of outfits. The clothes are fastened with straps, so the same garment is shaped differently according to the user.

Through his work, Ervin Latimer wants to highlight the various minorities in the society. He emphasizes that, for example, non-Caucasian models are not that often seen in Finnish fashion catalogs.

Ecology is also involved in the work. According to Latimer, it is an integral part of the work of young designers. The materials of his collection include recycled leather and wool fabric.

The garment can be shaped to meet the identity

The jury appreciated Latimer’s idea and said Latimer’s work is bold and has a story to tell. In addition to the visuals, the user can change their own identity according to the garment.

The jury said also that Latimer has found his own style, where a fascinating story, his personality and products make a whole. There are several small details in the work that allow variability with both the models and the patterns.

Latimer, 32, will graduate from Aalto University this autumn.

‘I ended up as a designer partly by accident. I studied clothing first in Metropolia with a goal to get a job as a sales representative because I have always been entrepreneurial and sales-oriented. However, during my studies, I noticed that I was most interested in design assignments. That's why I applied to Aalto for clothing design.’

Latimer has worked in Italy as a women's clothing designer for the luxury brand Alyx and in Denmark as the main designer for the fashion brand Heliot Emil. On Tuesday, he also unveiled his collaboration collection with textile manufacturer Vallila. He has designed a collection with surplus fabrics by Howard Smith, a 92-year-old African-American designer. The collection includes a work jacket and work trousers as well as two different bags.

The young designer of the year is conceived by the Finnish Fair and is funded by the Finnish Fair Foundation. The competition has been held since 1995. Last year's young designer was Emma Saarnio, also from Aalto University.

In addition to the recognition, Latimer will receive a 5,000 euro scholarship and a booth at the 2021 I love me fair at the Helsinki Fair Center. The winning outfit will also be seen at the fair’s I love fashion fashion shows.

Latimer's competition work is on display in the Garden Room exhibition space on the second floor of Kämp Galleria from 15 September to 4 October 2020.

Contact information:

Ervin Latimer, [email protected], Instagram @lervern, www.ervinlatimer.fi

Photos:

Photos of the winning outfit in the image bank http://mediabank.messukeskus.com

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