Emotions are running high for Fashion Design students at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), as they wait to find out if they will be showing their work at the prestigious Graduate Fashion Week in London this June.
Lizzy Bickford-Sawkings (left) takes inspiration from competitive swimmers
A staggering 39 students put their collections forward for scrutiny by a panel of judges during yesterday’s annual selection day, sharing their inspiration and showing off their technical skills.
The seven judges - including Fashion Design course leader Della Swain, senior lecturer in Fashion Design Buddy Penfold and designers Craig Lawrence and Scott Ramsay Kyle - quizzed students about their work and research, and offered valuable feedback on their collections.
The judges will make their final decisions by 16 May on which students will get to show their collections on the Graduate Fashion Week catwalk, the world’s leading event showcasing student and graduate talent.
Lizzy Bickford-Sawkings was inspired by her time spent as a competitive swimmer at a young age.
The 22-year-old said: “I have taken ideas from the costumes, the movement, the water and even the injuries that I gained during my time as a swimmer.”
Becky Vickers (right) hopes to break down barriers to how society views gender identity
For 21-year-old Becky Vickers, her collection is an attempt to expose gender identity as a social construct.
She said: “My biggest challenge was creating garments that fit both male and female body shapes.”
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Natalie Trigwell, winner of the 2016 Sophie Halette Lace Sponsorship, had to incorporate pieces from the world's leading lace firm into her collection.
The 22-year-old said: “I looked at wild youth and rebellion, combining over-sized shapes with tailoring.
“My biggest challenge was incorporating the different colours and lengths of Sophie Halette lace I was sent. I had to think carefully about colour palettes and placement.”
Natalie Trigwell was incorporates lace into her menswear collection
This is the third year running that Scott Ramsay Kyle, known for his hand embroidered womenswear, has supported DMU’s selection process.
He said: “There was lots of variety and excellent technical ability on show. We saw innovative textile elements and a nice mix of masculine and feminine silhouettes that will appeal to a wide range of people.”
Knitwear designer, Craig Lawrence, said: “We saw an eclectic mix of collections, with an experimental use of colour and texture, as well as intricate embroidery and bold prints.
“I really liked the mix of different attitudes and unique visions expressed.”
Posted on Wednesday 4 May 2016