De Montfort University (DMU) Footwear Design student Becka Hunt has been chosen to create a pair of shoes for one of the world’s leading fashion icons – Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge.
Becka’s design was announced as the winner when Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duchess visited DMU today (8 March) on the first stop of the official Diamond Jubilee Tour.
The design will now be made into a pair of shoes and presented to the Duchess at a later date. The competition attracted more than a hundred entries by DMU’s Footwear Design students before six finalists were announced.
The six were made into prototypes which were put on display as part of the Royal Party’s tour of DMU, which incorporated a fashion show by four of DMU’s Fashion Design graduates and a demonstration of some of the community projects that make up DMU’s Square Mile initiative.
Becka was born in Peterborough and went to school at nearby Matley Primary School in Orton Brimbles and Sawtry Community College. Her mother and father Caroline and Tim still live in the town and Tim runs photography website Clickpics.
Her design was inspired by 19th century fashions and based around her interpretation of the Duchess’s style. The colour of the shoe is sapphire blue with an ornate white floral pattern incorporating pearl detail.
Becka, 20, from Peterborough, said: “I am absolutely overwhelmed, excited and amazed. The attention I have had since I was announced as the winner is all a little scary to be honest, but I have to say it has been great fun and hopefully this will be good for a future career.”
One of the other finalists, Kay Yeng Cheng, 22, from Hinckley, Leicestershire, added: “We have had a great day and we are all really pleased for Becka. It has been an incredible experience and journey and getting to show our designs as part of the Royal Tour was amazing.”
The other shortlisted finalists were Sam Sawkill, 27, Summer Spencer, 23, both from Leicester, Tabitha Duffield, 21, from Maidstone, Kent, and Mei Chun Lai, 21, from Taiwan.
De Montfort University Vice-Chancellor Dominic Shellard said: “What a huge honour and magnificent opportunity this is for Becka. It’s amazing to think that the Duchess of Cambridge – the world’s leading fashion icon – is to wear a pair of shoes designed and made here at De Montfort University.
“I have congratulated all six students who came up with such spectacular designs. I am sure there will be a great future in the footwear industry for each of them.”
Posted on Thursday 8 March 2012