DHL Exported London Finalists

The sound of London calling was heard around the world by young designers looking to get a leg up in the European market and the committee of experts behind the DHL Exported program sorted through a number of applications by highly talented designers to narrow the field to just three finalists. All three are well-decorated for their design talents with smart business plans for making it big in the tough London market so it’s anybody’s guess just who will take home the DHL Exported prize at the end of the month – and get his or her designs out on the runway come September.

The finalists include:

Hakan Yıldırım won his first prize at the Young Fashion Designers Contest hosted by the Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters Association in 1998. After serving as creative director at several Turkish textile companies, he created his eponymous line of couture dresses in 2001 and began collaborating with local textile company Koton. He launched his brand HAKAAN during London Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2010, winning the Andam Award before going on to create the affordable luxury brand, Section Mode Unique, which maintains a presence in Istanbul’s Galata district. It’s with his latest venture, the H by Hakan Yıldırım that the designer is hoping to break into London through the DHL Exported program.

Lala Berlin is the brainchild of Leyla Piedayesh, who began the label in 2003 after making her own knitted accessories. Lauded by media for a design aesthetic that reflected the spirit of the German capital where the label is based, Lala Berlin got its first big push after a slot at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin during their spring/summer 2007 collections resulted in a nomination for the New Faces Award. T

Sid Neigum, currently based in Toronto, with stockists in New York, LA, Hong Kong, Seoul and Montreal, is a resident member at the Toronto Fashion Incubator, where every garment is produced in house. He won the Toronto Fashion Incubator New Labels Award in 2012, Western Canada Fashion Week’s Emerging Designer Award and Nextfest’s Emerging Artist Award, among others. His mathematical approach to pattern-making has led to his designs being featured in Elle and WWD.

For more from the designers' lookbooks, become a fan on Pinterest or Instagram. And stay tuned to In Motion for the official winners' announcement May 27, 2014.