At the "Asian Emerging Designer Fashion Contest," an international competition that received approximately 1,000 entries from eight countries and regions around the world, Nina Tsugawa, a third-year student Super Designer, won the Grand Prix (Gold Award), and Kimitaka Katayama, a second-year student in the same department, won the Runner-up Grand Prix (Silver Award).

Theme: "Unbound"
Prize money: 1 million yen

Tsugawa's comment:
"I'm truly surprised to have won the Grand Prix. There were so many high-quality entries from all over the country, so I never thought I'd be chosen. This year's theme, 'Unbound,' is about pursuing self-expression for oneself and freedom of expression that isn't bound by the gaze of others. I paid particular attention to the silhouette during production. The process of checking each bone and adjusting them by hand sewing was especially difficult, but I was happiest of all to receive such high praise from the judges for the silhouette."

Theme: "DISTORTION"
Prize money: 500,000 yen

Katayama's comment:
"After watching the rehearsal, I lost confidence, so when it was announced that I had won the runner-up prize, it didn't feel real at all. The theme for this year, 'DISTORTION,' was inspired by how a person's posture becomes distorted as they age. In creating the piece, I focused on how to make the silhouette look beautiful. I used inorganic, glossy materials like stainless steel and translated the theme of 'distortion' into a fluid form. I was happiest that the judges praised the novelty of the silhouette and the beauty of the shape."

■ About the 2nd Asian Emerging Designer Fashion Contest
The Asian Emerging Designers Fashion Contest is a fashion competition that aims to discover and support emerging designers from around the world, with a focus on Asia, and to allow them to showcase their creativity and expertise on the international stage. It accepts applications from fashion students worldwide, providing young talents with opportunities for global encounters and experiences.

Organized by: Japan Fashion Designer Training and Promotion Association
Judges (titles omitted)
・Yasutoshi Ezumi (EZUMi designer)
- Wataru Nakazono (CHONO Designer)
- Tadao Takeuchi (Design Coordinator)
・RYO (Designer)
Awards
- Gold Prize (Grand Prize): 1 winner / Prize money: 1 million yen
Silver Prize (Runner-up): 1 winner / Prize money: 500,000 yen
Bronze Prize: 1 winner / Prize money: 150,000 yen
・Special Jury Prize: 1 winner / 50,000 yen prize money
- Honorable Mention: Finalists other than those listed above / Prize money of 20,000 yen

▼Contest-related news
・Won the Grand Prix and TGC Award in the TGC x Bishu "New Designer Discovery Project"! The project had the most finalists nationwide with 7 participants!
https://voutrail.jp/news/12230/

・Runner-up in Japan's largest upcycling contest! 17 students OIF were finalists, the most in the country!
https://voutrail.jp/news/12094/

- A student from the 3D Modeler course won the runner-up prize in the "Digital Apparel Design Contest"! A total of four students received awards, the most in the country!
https://voutrail.jp/news/11889/

- Won the runner-up prize at the "FB Awards Y 2025"! Following last year's grand prize win, Brand Management has achieved another remarkable feat!
https://voutrail.jp/news/11755/

- Chino Miki won the "2nd Place Honorable Mention" (3rd nationwide) at the 99th Soen Awards! This honor follows her Grand Prix win last year!
https://voutrail.jp/news/11532/

・An amazing achievement for the second year in a row! Two brands from our Super Designer are set to debut at NY Fashion Week!! Double Grand Prix win at AFC!
https://voutrail.jp/news/10757/

・Achieved a triple crown in major domestic contests! Grand Prix at the "YKK Fastening Award"! A remarkable achievement following the Grand Prix wins at the "Soen Award" and "AFC"!
https://voutrail.jp/news/10867/

- Rensuke Iwano, Fashion Creator won the Grand Prix at the 98th Soen Awards! He has reached the pinnacle of new designers!
https://voutrail.jp/news/9881/