Photo above by Stephen Tilley.

New Zealand Designer Alex Kim of JAEHA has just had his range picked up by chain store Mango. Returning from Barcelona he presented a collection as one of ten finalists selected by MANGO to compete in the second edition of the El Boton-MANGO Fashion Awards. The major prize of €300,000 was won by Korean designer Lee Jin Youn, the JAEHA collection was so loved by the jury and representatives from the Spanish fashion giant that they have selected it to be produced alongside that of the winner and distributed internationally in their 2000 plus stores.

“Playfully quirky, yet darkly feminine”, the JAEHA collection for MANGO Winter 09/10 is based upon ideas taken from his Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2008 collection “Call me princess, my daddy said so” which have been expanded and tweaked for an international audience. The collection includes versions of the silk georgette/satin dresses and tops that the JAEHA name has become synonymous with, as well as a raincoat, denim with shattered glass panels and worsted wool jackets. The colour palette is also typically JAEHA, awash with greys, graduating shades of pink and red, white and black.

The young designer has been humbled by the experience of competing on the international stage and having his work judged by a jury that consisted of names like legendary designer Oscar de la Renta, Nina García, Director of Marie Claire USA, Laura Larbalestier, Head of Sales at Selfridges, 80’s supermodel Jerry Hall and Damián Sánchez, Managing Partner and Creative Director of MANGO.

“Just to be named as one of their top 10 international finalists was amazing,” says the young designer, “and even though I didn’t win, I got so much out of the trip and it will definitely change how I proceed with my label internationally. Then when I got home and they called to ask if they could produce my collection for their stores anyway, I was just speechless… It is an amazing honour and a huge step for me as a designer.”

From a press release by Miss Helene 13.5.09