Prestigious prizes and major television appearances are just some of the many successes De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) students racked up at Graduate Fashion Week (GFW).
Proudly representing DMU at London’s Truman Brewery last week, dozens of talented fashion and textiles students were shortlisted for prizes in a wide range of categories, with four of them scooping coveted awards.
These and other valuable opportunities arising from the exposure is why GFW is known as the world’s largest platform for young talent, bringing together students, educators and industry.
Kira Uddin
Fashion Design student Kira Uddin won the Fashion Innovation Award after presenting her menswear collection to judges from All Saints and ASOS. They were impressed with her pairing of traditional tailoring and modern streetwear, as well as her use of embroidery and print.
“Winning this award was the best part of the week for me,” said the 21-year-old from Hertfordshire. “But the whole experience was amazing – a real celebration of my degree.”
Undertaking summer internships during her degree proved to be a valuable move for Kira, including working as a wholesale intern at Ralph Lauren. “It gave me great insights into designer menswear and I learned a lot about communication and presentation skills in the fashion world,” she said.
Kira, who wanted to move away from home for her studies, chose DMU because of its facilities. She said: “The Vijay Patel Building offers so much – you have access to so many workshops and you even get your own cutting tables and machine space. I loved my time at DMU.”
Thea Hunter
Thea Hunter, also a Fashion Design student, was picked by GFW judges as the winner of DMU’s catwalk. Her moving collection is inspired by her grandparents, featuring envelope-shaped denim patchwork to symbolise the letters they used to send each other while courting.
Her designs also thoughtfully incorporate delicate organza and lace, as well as bleached denim, to signify the fading of memories following her grandad’s dementia diagnosis. “I put my heart and soul into my collection and I’m so proud of it,” said the 22-year-old from Swindon.
Completing a year-long work placement at luxury fashion house Julien Macdonald prepared Thea well for her final collection. She said: “I worked with their embroidery team on their couture collection and I learned so much, especially about working quickly and precisely.
“Our tutors at DMU have also been amazing – they’ve helped every one of us to get this far.”
Thea’s collection has also been chosen to feature at Pure London x JATC next month, the UK's leading fashion trade event held at Olympia London.
Bruna Chorincas
Fashion Communication and Styling student Bruna Chorincas won the Fashion Moving Image Award, after impressing a panel of judges with her varied submission of high quality videos, including fashion campaigns and interviews with designers.
The 21-year-old from Portugal said: “Having industry professionals praise my work felt amazing. The whole GFW experience was great, especially being able to meet students from other unis.”
A powerful exploration of racism earned Fashion Design student Jemima Onuwe the INCLUSIVE Exhibition award. “My collection reflects my story as a Nigerian female moving to England at 15,” said the 22-year-old.
Jemima Onuwe
“I was aware of the concept of racism, but had never experienced it directly until then. It made me feel ashamed of my culture, and I did everything I could to survive and to fit in with European beauty standards. Moving to a multicultural city like Leicester for uni helped to change all of that for me.”
Jemima’s collection includes screen printed designs inspired by her passport stamps, as well as flocking and symmetrical elements. Pleats feature throughout, closely mirroring the design of her school uniform skirt, and are a nod to non-conformity.
She said: “After my school experience, I suffered from low self-esteem, anxiety and fear of being discriminated against, but university helped me to grow into my personality and gain confidence. Winning this award is really empowering and I couldn’t have done it without my tutors’ support.”
Adopting a bold aesthetic featuring impactful styling, textures and bold backgrounds, earned Fashion Communication and Styling student Precious Tamanji the Fashion Photography Award.
“My photography and styling work together to tell the whole story, and I think that’s what makes my work stand out,” said the 22-year-old from Lincoln. “It was really nice to be recognised by industry experts and I’m so proud of myself.”
Delvin Abed
A collection paying tribute to her Kurdish heritage led to a feature on Rudaw Kurmanci, a major Kurdish news broadcaster, for Fashion Design student Delvin Abed.
The 21-year-old, who grew up in Doncaster, said: “I’ve always been passionate about fashion. My grandma was a seamstress and I loved watching her work when I would visit Kurdistan. She worked with beading a lot, so I had a friend I Kurdistan send me some over to use in my collection.
“My collection is all about raising awareness of our culture and the struggles of the war-torn region, including my two grandfathers who fought for our freedom as soldiers.”
Delvin took inspiration from cultural motifs such as native fruits and flowers to create a colourful take on camouflage fabric. Her collection also includes red beads to symbolise the bloodshed, embroidered Kurdish proverbs and the region’s flag as her button stand.
“Having the chance to represent Kurdistan at GFW was very overwhelming - it felt like all my hard work wasn’t in vain,” she said. “I feel like I’ve never been good at anything in my life, so to then be invited onto Kurdish TV to talk to about my designs was an amazing experience and I’m so grateful.”
Since her appearance on Rudaw Kurmanci, Delvin has been approached by Kurdistan24, a news outlet based in the UK.
Posted on Friday 21 June 2024