Paulo Redeem wins inaugural Amiri Prize

Philadelphia-based fashion brand Paulo Redeem is the winner of the inaugural Amiri Prize.

The designer behind the brand NaaAmerley Badger will take home $100,000, as well as a year-long mentorship with Amiri. Badger beat out two other finalists, Ayama and Victor Li, to take home the grand prize.

Launched in 2019, each Paulo Redeem design is customized from redeemed (upcycled) materials from the designer’s own wardrobe plus donations from family and friends. Meanwhile, the brand’s design style is characterized by maximized embellishment, functionality, and exaggerated structure.

The Amiri Prize by Mike Amiri, founder and creative director of L.A. men’s and women’s brand Amiri, was established as an annual fashion incubator to inspire hidden fashion talent across the U.S. Applications opened on Wednesday, March 17 for one month.

The prize winner, which may include American residents whose ready-to-wear business is one to threes years old, was selected by a panel of judges comprising of Salehe Bembury, owner of Spunge; Chris Gibbs, owner of Union Los Angeles; Glenn Martens, creative director of Diesel and Y/Project; Nikki Ogunnaike, digital director, Harper’s Bazaar; Renzo Rosso, president of OTB; and Kala Welch, celebrity stylist.

“This last year provided a lot of time for me to reflect on many things including the current state of our industry. I wanted to address the current lack of opportunity for creatives from diverse backgrounds. The global crisis we are facing adds another challenge to designers who have been able to make a start but are not established enough to weather the storm,” the designer told FashionNetwork.com, back in March.

Paulo Redeem wins inaugural Amiri Prize

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