LCF graduate awarded prestigious prize in Austria

by Iwona Kadluczka

Juergen Bertsch, recent MA Fashion, Design and Technology graduate has been awarded the Ringstrassen-Galerien Designer Award in Vienna, Austria.

Bertsch managed to collect his prize despite having to change his plans, travelling for 17 hours by car and train, because of the volcanic ash cloud.

The RGDA competition took place for the 7th time and this year with a new addition - for the first time the well-known Austrian award was announced internationally in cooperation with Not Just a Label, the online platform for young fashion designers.

This years’ competition had a black and white theme and called on young and ambitious designers to submit their ideas and sketches.

Juergen’s winning collection entitled ‘Playground’ was the only menswear collection in the show and sensitively approached how children lose their memories in a kaleidoscope of emotions when progressing into adulthood.

He underpinned the designs by contrasting the reaction to the clothes from a child and an adult perspective, re-uniting an adult’s sense of play with their inner child.

Jeurgen’s prize was €3,000 and a trophy designed by Jewellery Designer AND_I, whose designs have been worn by the likes of Lady Gaga and Beyonce Knowles.