LONDON, 17 June 2025 – The Creativity’s Prize (Creativity’s UK Award), one of the most prestigious honours in the global creative community, has announced Maria Babina as the June 2025 laureate in the Fashion category. Her evocative work, “Red Poppies of Remembrance Day”, stood out among this month’s finalists for its fusion of historical symbolism, emotional depth, and contemporary fashion narrative.
Judging for the June edition took place between 4–12 June 2025, with a dedicated panel of leading voices in the arts and fashion industry. The distinguished jury – chaired by Maria Bregman and including Anne Fry, Lana Sterling, Naomi Pullan, and Tessa Nolan – assessed works based on the Creativity’s Prize’s (Creativity’s UK Award) core criteria: originality, technical mastery, cultural relevance, and lasting impact.
Notably, Naomi Pullan currently serves as Creative Director at Vero Moda in China, a key brand under the Bestseller Group umbrella. Her leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping the brand’s design language for the East Asian market. Prior to this, she spent several years as Creative Consultant at COS, the minimalist fashion label within the H&M Group, where she contributed significantly to its global creative direction. Her deep expertise in both European and Asian fashion markets brings a rare, dual-perspective strength to the judging panel.
Maria Babina’s winning piece drew critical acclaim for its “haunting visual clarity and conceptual layering,” as noted by Anne Fry, who praised its “tactile storytelling and ability to memorialise through garment.” The dress, designed in collaboration with Hector Maclean, was presented as a performative look, worn by Babina herself in a stylised campaign that blended fashion, theatre, and historical allusion.
Also shortlisted were:
- Sofiia Segalla, noted for her conceptual tailoring and experimental textiles.
- Tes Berge, who presented “It bugs me”, a subversive collection that interrogates discomfort, fragility, and organic form through fashion.
The June 2025 edition of the Creativity’s Prize (Creativity’s UK Award), focused exclusively on fashion, marks a pivotal moment in the award’s evolution. As creativity continues to intersect with cultural memory and socio-political expression, Maria Babina’s work exemplifies the boundary-pushing artistry the Prize seeks to honour.
As the Fashion Winner, Babina will receive the full £5,000 Career Development & Promotion Package, including an international press feature, solo digital exhibition on Creativitys.UK, and a private mentorship session with an industry-leading figure – a testament to her compelling vision and rapidly growing influence in the contemporary fashion landscape.
About the Creativity’s UK Award (Creativity’s Prize)
Founded in 2019 by Creativitys.UK, the Prize is awarded monthly across a range of creative disciplines. It has become a benchmark for emerging and established talent in visual arts, literature, performance, design, and digital innovation.
