MMU scoops top fashion awards

MMU students have won two prestigious Royal Society awards for innovation in fashion.

Aitor Throup and Katherine Rose, final year students on the fashion degree course
scooped awards for their menswear at the RSA’s annual Design Direction Awards – which judges the cream of the UK’s fashion, art and design students.

Aitor, from Burnley, won the annual Australian Wool Innovation Travel Award which offers a study trip ‘Down Under’ and is worth £2,500. Katherine, from Nottingham, collected the John Lewis Partnership Internship Award which includes a six-month placement as a designer at John Lewis’s headquarters in London and £5,200 grant.

The pair are some of the outstanding students on the highly acclaimed BA Fashion degree course at MMU, but with very singular styles.

Aitor’s highly original style described by one judge as “a kind of Mongolian streetwear” combines leather, wool and other fabrics, while Katherine’s clothes are inspired by the 1930s look of emigrant workers to America.

She said: “My collection is inspired by the clothing of outdoor workers such as peach and cotton pickers. I like to produce my own texture and fabric through a mix of knit, print and embossed leather.

“It’s a great honour to win a national award. I’m really excited about going to London to pursue a career in fashion design.

Aitor said: “I’m really happy about going to Australia and want to thank all the tutors and students at MMU who’ve been inspirational and fun to work with.”

The pair’s work goes on display, along with other winners, in an RSA Design Directions Awards Online Exhibition from mid-May 2004 at www.rsa-design.net

Aitor and Katherine will also be displaying his work at London Graduate Fashion Week in June.

Notes: The RSA was founded in 1754 and RSA Design Directions encourages emerging young designers to engage with the broader social and commercial world. Contact RSA at design@rsa.org.uk 0207 839 5805

To contact Aitor or Katherine speak to Alison Welsh, Course Leader, Fashion, Manchester Metropolitan University 0161 247 3543 or via the MMU Press Office on 0161 247 3406 mob. 07748 111322