Creative De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) students are among an exclusive group selected for the Talent of Tomorrow campaign, run by the influential Graduate Fashion Foundation (GFF).
Morgan's outfit which featured in the Talent of Tomorrow campaign
A promotional campaign leading up to Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) - the springboard for graduates worldwide bridging the gap between education and employment – Talent of Tomorrow showcases emerging fashion designers and other creatives.
A group of 10 DMU Fashion Communication and Styling final-years were hand-picked for the campaign shoot after submitting their portfolios, and joined other successful students from around the country to take up positions such as art directors, stylists and photographers.
Not only is their work featured as part of the Talent of Tomorrow campaign, each student has been given a dedicated page on the GFW website to showcase their portfolio to industry professionals.
Working at the iconic Coal Drops Yard in London, the groups were tasked with shooting up to 10 outfits designed by graduating students and selected by a judging panel, including one look by DMU’s Morgan Boyce whose collection will feature in the university’s GFW catwalk on Tuesday 21 June.
Part of Morgan's collection which will be shown on the GFF catwalk
Fashion Design student Morgan’s collection is inspired by her Irish heritage and ‘The Troubles’ her family lived through, featuring neutral camo prints, layers of knitted fabrics, macramé, big sleeves and balaclava shawls.
The 21-year-old from Bath said: “My family went through troubled times and my collection is very personal, so it was really exciting to have my main outfit picked for Talent of Tomorrow.
“It’s so satisfying to have finished my collection, knowing I made it all in a slow fashion way, using lots of sustainable yarns and traditional skills. Having it feature on the GFW catwalk will be such a nice way to celebrate the end of my degree.
“Thanks to the pandemic we’ve never had anything on this scale to present to industry before, so getting this chance is really overwhelming and such a good feeling for me and my friends.”
Sadie (middle) getting on the floor to secure the winning shot
Student Sadie Carder, who was selected to work as a videographer on Talent of Tomorrow, was in the group responsible for shooting Morgan’s outfit.
“I’m really happy we got to work with Morgan’s outfit. We shot it down by the water and it looked amazing. It was great to be both representing ourselves at GFW and I felt proud when I walked into Coal Drops Yard and saw how many DMU students were there,” said the 22-year-old from Corby.
Sadie’s day included location scouting, filming behind the scenes footage while the photographer was working, and getting video of the models moving around in their outfits.
She said: “GFW is such a global platform and the whole experience felt really professional. Working with the likes of models and make-up artists gave us a real insight into industry and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”
Working as a stylist, Jack Smith arranged his group’s outfits from most to least complex to be efficient with the time they had. He helped to pair garments that went well together, got models dressed, pinned outfits for the best fit and adjusted them between takes for better continuity.
The final piece in Morgan's collection
“It was out of this world getting real-life experience of what working in this field is like,” said the 22-year-old from Lincoln.
“Our Fashion Communication and Styling course prepared us well for this opportunity, as we are well-versed in all of the roles involved in the shoot. Having just one role on the day was so refreshing though and a more realistic example of what working with a bigger brand would be like.”
As a behind the scenes photographer on the day, Brenda Tham was busy taking candid shots of models getting ready in hair and make-up, as well as being dressed by stylists.
The 22-year-old from Malaysia said: “I’m more of a stylist myself, so this role was a whole new ball game for me. I really enjoyed it though and worked well with the main photographer, who was very supportive of me.”
Estelle Henry was chosen to work as an art director, her role including helping to pair locations with outfits, making decisions on which outfits to shoot together and giving models directions for poses.
Estelle (holding a light reflector) during her group's shoot
“Even though we all had our individual roles, we helped each other and I got stuck in with things like holding a reflector for the photographer, carrying kit and holding up garments so they wouldn’t drag on the floor,” said the 21-year-old from Oxford.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever done something like this and it was a really good day. One of the best things was getting to collaborate with other students and professionals because the fashion industry is all about making connections.”
Selected as a social media content assistant, Lilly Lee was busy capturing engaging content such as short interviews with models and stylists and fun behind the scenes footage.
The 25-year-old based in Nuneaton said: “I was so happy to be picked. I really enjoyed bouncing off everyone in my group to produce something amazing and it’s a great experience to add to my CV.
“I’m grateful that we got such an opportunity through our degree. It’s such a broad course and brilliant for developing a range of skills. It’s taught me that you don’t know unless you try something, and that you can’t fail but you can discover something you love and are good at.”
Morgan, Sadie and Estelle are among the manyDMU students shortlisted for prestigious GFW awards. The winners will be announced at the end of next week.
Posted on Friday 17 June 2022