Meet our winner: Lena Hasibether

1. What is fashion for you?

Past present future state of mind


2. How and why did you start in the fashion world?

I think I started with fashion when I was about 8 years old. I created a little book with a few sketches and imagined what women should have to wear. I also did a lot of handcraft when I was young, I was very interested in that and I loved to create new things with my own hands.

Later I started a vocational training, graduated as an dressmaker and worked in this job but it was not enough to work only technical so I was going to start my studies in Fashiondesign to learn about having different points of view.


3. How did you get to know Bilbao International Art&Fashion?

I read about the competition on a poster at university.


4. Have you participated in other fashion competitions? What would you highlight of Bilbao International Art&Fashion?

Yes, I've won the second place of the international fashion award "Design am Rhein" awarded from Igedo Company, Düsseldorf, Germany. I can show my new collection at the next fashion fair in July.

The most impressive thing for me of Bilbao International Art & Fashion is that it's about the ideas, you don't have to participate with a huge saleable collection, but show your own creativity and professionality. It's about the real creativity of young people all over the world, and it's a really good prize for sure whith what I can now pay my new collection. I was really thrilled when I read that Zaha Hadid was in the advisory committee.


5. Your advice to young designers that are starting now...

Don't lose sight of your dreams, establish a helpful network, be open-minded about everything around and all-important keep your nerves!