Cracow Fashion Awards 2021

Cracow School of Art and Fashion Design is organizing a prestigious diploma show – Cracow Fashion Awards, which opens Cracow Fashion Week and attracts major media representatives and fashion celebrities from Poland and Europe.
LPP – the owner of the Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito, Sinsay brands – once again supported the SAPU diploma show, by giving the talents of Polish fashion a chance to develop. The company awarded two financial awards of PLN 1,500 each along with invitations to the internship to the House and Mohito brands. Aleksandra Filipowicz (House award) and Magdalena Rzepecka (Mohito award) received them.

This year, Anna Szczygiel, won the Diploma Show with the collection “That’s the way I am”.

Photo: Ana Zborowska

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Anna Szczygiel: “I was born in Poland, but I have lived in the UK for the last 15 years. I’m a graduate of the Cracow Schools of Art and Fashion Design in Poland, Faculty of Fashion Design. My previous collection has won the award Polish Talent Support in 2017. I won a scholarship status at the Cracow Schools of Art and Fashion Design and created my own collection and show during the Cracow Fashion Week in 2018. I actively participate in fashion events. During these years, I attended fashion contests which allowed me to challenge myself in different projects. In the future, I would like to work in a fashion company as a fashion designer or to create my own brand. I hope to realize all of my dreams.”

That’s the way I am, Photo: Ana Zborowska

“That’s the way I am refers to the fashion capital of London and is inspired by British look, subcultures, Vivienne Westwood’s anarchy, rude Kate Moss, Lady Di icon, multiculturalism, a manifestation of one’s own personality, and everything around London streets. The unusual feature of the collection is the variety. Maze of styles, forms, patterns, colors, and materials such as wool with nylon, linen with PVC, polyester with denim. Diversity is the most valuable currency in today’s fashion world. In my collection, a woman should feel beautiful, powerful, dynamic, strong. The pleated parts of the bottoms placed one on top of the other, create the main look of the collection. I have also designed a material where linen is the basis for creating an artistic painting, printing by sewing wool on, which creates a beautiful structure and an amazing impression. I used transparent foil to show zero waste, which is so important. I quilted the PVC and stuffed it with the scraps that I had left when creating the collection. I designed following the sustainable fashion rules.”

Photo: Izabela Garus; Model: MARIA / Magnes Models; MUA, hair style, stylist: Kalina Kocemba.

Łukasz Kubiński, won the title of the Media Collection with the highest number of votes of The Media Council, chaired by Michał Zaczyński, an award from Ariadna for the best-sewn collection, and a professional photo session. Furniture collection was made mostly of upholstery materials, partly obtained following the “no waste” principle. I was inspired not only by the fabrics but also by the shape. That’s how the set of ecru leatherette sofa coat and pillow bag were created.

Furniture collection, Photo: Ana Zborowska

“I was expecting that after the Cracow Fashion Awards I will be having some publicity. That’s how I came up with something bigger than just nicely made clothes. I created the “Furniture clothes collection” to draw attention to the problem of racism in Poland. My clothes are made in 3 colors and each color represents a different race of man, but the interpretation of which color is which race belongs to the viewer. My fantastic models helped me to achieve my idea, for which I am grateful to them.”

Photo: Michał Magiera; Assistant: Klaudia Kolegowicz; Models: Jalese Gordon, Dominika Foremniak, Douglas Oliveira, Junise Sheppard; Hair style: Michał Mikłos; Make-up. Monika Adamik

Mateusz Koltunowicz awarded the first prizes of the evening, together with Converse: Mariola Homoncik (the first prize), Alexander Graham (the second prize), and Anna Szczygiel (the 3rd prize).

Alexander Graham ’s Ribs collection was made for people who show their inside nature by clothing. The idea was to make people feel like themselves with the help of colors, cut, and style of the Ribs collection. I was inspired by first and second World War uniforms, accessories and colors, tech-wear, post-apocalyptic style, and with all of that, I was trying to stay in a kind of oversized, clean streetwear look. I hope that my clothes will bring people some kind of joy, excitement and that this collection will help people show the world their true self.

Photo: Francis Awuku; Models: Eviguene Bravo, Thomas Gustave, Yannick Suh

“It was a very inspirational experience because it’s my first collection, and I put my hundred percent to make it. Spending days designing, buying materials, picking up accessories was a very chastening experience for me, because before I couldn’t even imagine that I am capable of doing something like this by myself, I started to feel that everything around me could be an inspiration, and my creativity started to develop. This collection let me fully show people the creative side of me that I think some people didn’t see before. Seeing the final results and seeing my collection on the catwalk was something incredible for me, it motivated me to move forward, and made me realize that this is something I want to do and something that I love.”

Ribs collection, Photo: Ana Zborowska

Mariola Homoncik, is a fashion designer from Poland, based in Cracow, and graduated this year with the collection Dissociative. “In my projects, I use smooth materials and cover them with my original graphics. The Dissociative collection includes a “no waste” and ecological concept. It’s inspired by space-based solar power that represents the future of the Earth. A characteristic and repeating element on the projects is a monogram. The dominant colors are the futuristic and cosmos shades of blue, purple, red, green, black, and white. Dissociative is a layered collection. I used ecological materials to make the shoes around the legs and are inspired by the spiral which arises when energy is transferring from the panel system to the Earth. The mesh element whose job is to transfer energy between units is used to design the bags, in combination with fake colorful leather and silver chain links. Dissociation is the reversible process of the disintegration of the whole and the state of separation from reality. Wearing this collection is a process of breaking away from what is real, creating a new self, new consciousness, new memories. Dissociative introduces you to a different mood, the so-called ‘aesthetic mood’.”

Photo: Daria Irena Gorniewska; Stylist: Anna Matviichuk;

Model: Jagod Matusiak; Mua & Hair: Alia Stepashka

Photo: Urszula Opitek; Models: Ylenia Emili, Grzegorz Sychowicz

“The process of creating my collection was a very hard working time. However, I don’t regret any second I spent with it, I’ve learned a lot of things. From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to do something different. I like to start designing by choosing the material. When I have the fabric and I can touch it, I know what I can do with it. My prizes, especially the Award for creativity and vision, gave me power for further creation and motivation to do even more creative projects.”

Dissociative collection, Photo: Ana Zborowska

Cracow School of Art and Fashion Design’s description: At SAPU, the students are in the heart of a vibrant community, alive with creative energy. They are surrounded by people who love what they do, who have ideas and talent, plans, and passion. What happens in the classroom reflects what goes on every day in the industry’s workshops, showrooms, and studios. Fashion is a highly diverse industry and it takes determination, hard work, flexibility, and passion to succeed. Our school is for self-motivated fashion enthusiasts, informed and mature enough to commit to a course that is demanding in both its breadth and depth.

The collections presented during the SAPU diploma show had one more dimension – there were presented projects that were created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we had the opportunity to see how this difficult time influenced the imagination and perception of the world by young designers.

An article by Evelina Tanasie