Arttu Åfeldt won the Young Designer of the Year competition

A year has won the young designer competition this year Arttu Åfeldtinforms the Finnish Fair Foundation.

Åfeldt, 28, is studying in Aalto University’s fashion master’s program, from which she will graduate this fall.

The theme of the competition this year was “Untitled”. According to the release, Åfeldt’s winning outfit draws from tracksuits.

“They are almost all from the same factory, made with the same patterns, only the rhinestone pattern is our own. It emphasizes anonymity: we repeat the same as others, and we don’t challenge it,” says Åfeldt in the announcement.

In his winning work, Åfeldt used the rhinestone patterns of tracksuits as inspiration. Instead of just logos or patterns, the whole outfit is completely lined with Åfeldt’s own rhinestones.

Åfeldt’s technical tailoring expertise and ability to create new solutions convinced the jury, the release states. Åfeldt will be awarded with a scholarship of 5,000 euros donated by the Finnish Fair Foundation.

Åfeldt says that he has been interested in fashion since he was a child.

“At the time of the fifth or sixth grade, I started tinkering and making clothes myself. I got help, for example, from my grandmother, who bought the first sewing machine and fabrics,” says Åfeldt in the press release.

Because of his interest, Åfeldt was also bullied at school. She did not let this discourage her, but expressed herself by dressing even more spectacularly.

The Young Designer of the Year competition is intended for young clothing designers. According to the release, the competition is looking for up-and-coming talents and new ideas that can be implemented.

This year, the competition was organized for the 30th time.