Applications and kerchiefs Sophie Louisa Sälekari

IN THE WEEKLY RUBRIC "NEW MARK" Wonderzine presents young designers and tells where and how you can buy their things. Our heroine this week is Russian-Finnish fashion designer Sophie-Louise Salekari.

For the third year in a row, H & M holds a competition for young designers, the H & M Fashion Award. We told about the winner of 2013, Minho Kim, and also announced the short list of 2014. The list included as many as 27 applicants who are currently studying in European fashion schools. Among them were the Belgians, the Dutch, and the Italians, but most of all - the British from Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion. A couple of days ago, H & M announced a list of eight finalists, one of whom is a 22-year-old Russian-Finnish designer Sophie-Louise Salekari: her mother is from Russia, but a girl was born and raised in Finland. In the graduation collection, the Salekari mixes various applications and prints — flowers and art-graphics; combines a dozen colors — yellow with orange and green with purple; skillfully combines materials — velvet, brocade and mohair. We especially like chiffon kerchiefs - an obvious reference to Russia.

Sophie Louise - 22, she studies at the University School of Art, Design and Architecture in Helsinki. Last summer, the Salecari had an internship in the French brand Rue du Mail. She has one complete Babushki on Acid collection inspired by Russian folklore. Now the girl participates in the H & M competition and plans to work in London or Paris, and also to do a project with an artist. She can also be supported in the competition of young Scandinavian clothing designers Elle and Muuse.

I did not dream of working in fashion. After graduation, I didn’t know where to go: I was a lost child. But I always loved to draw, I was also interested in fashion, so I decided to go to the university to study fashion design there. Slowly, I got involved, and now I'm here, and I like what I do. For three years I studied in Helsinki, where there is no fashion and there is practically nothing to catch, and last summer I had an internship in Paris. She opened my eyes to how the industry works. It was a real school of life that taught me how to work. I am inspired by culture (especially the diversity of cultures) and art. I create clothes for cheerful girls who have an eclectic style and who do not care about the opinions of people around them.