Aitor designs for Becks & Rooney

A FIRST-class graduate from MMU’s acclaimed fashion course is the designer of the new England football kit.

Aitor Throup, from Lancashire, is said to be “thrilled” to help a team at Umbro design the kit, which is due to be launched on March 28.

The 28-year-old who earned a first in his three-year fashion degree at Manchester Metropolitan’s School of Art, said: “I was asked to be part of the design team for the new kit and brought in as a creative consultant to help design and advise.

“I was really excited to be involved in the project, the brand is in a very developmental period and there are exciting times ahead.”

Award winning

After attending Gawthorpe High School, in Burnley, Aitor went on to gain a BA in fashion at Manchester Metropolitan University before training at The Royal College of Arts in London.

Aitor’s graduate collection, inspired by his youth, won the International Talent Support Award in 2006 for graduate collection of the year.

David Blanch, who led the design team for the new England kit, said: “I’d come across Aitor while he was a student, and we recognised his unique talent early on, one that had the ability to just move away from cyclical fashion and stay true.

“He was rooted in movement and the body, so when this project came up and we were looking to create a really small team, we brought him in straightaway.

Unconventional style

“Aitor, myself and Devon Burt from Nike spent a week working together in Aitor’s studio in London.”

Since graduating, Aitor has been featured by leading fashion magazines and has been approached by many top fashion labels who loved his unconventional style.

The design of the new kit is a being kept a closely guarded secret until the launch.

Find out more about BA Fashion at MMU.