In vogue at London Fashion Week

MMU’s Rebecca Thomson has beaten hopefuls from 34 universities nationwide to win a coveted place in the 2010 Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) Competition final, to be held during London Fashion Week.

Final-year Fashion student Rebecca, 22, was selected from over 100 entries from undergraduates across the UK. Two outfits designed by Rebecca will hit the catwalk on Monday 22nd February, alongside garments by thirteen other finalists.

Described by Vogue.com as an “undeniable springboard” for the next generation of talent, the FAD Competition identifies the most promising new designers and provides them with a unique opportunity to showcase their work to an international audience of media and buyers at the capital’s most important fashion event.

Inspired by personal memory

Competition entrants were asked to explore the concept of memory to create a fashion legacy for future generations. Rebecca’s whimsical entry is based on the change of perception over time, with one outfit inspired by personal memory and the other inspired by the narrative of collective memories and objects.

Rebecca comments: “I drew my inspiration from children’s clothing and from a child’s mentality to create garments with different layers of tactile fabrics which draw on aspects of comfort. The innocence of childhood and my ability to avoid harsh realities is a time I enjoyed looking back on as I grow up and face much harder life experiences.”

Difficult time for new designers

Dolly Jones, Editor of Vogue.com, says: “I think in these awful times of economic drama there’s a tendency to think there’s no room for new talent and it’s a really frightening time for new designers, but the FAD Competition weeds out the mediocre and leaves more room for the truly talented newcomers.”

The overall winner will be selected by a judging panel which includes Sonnet Stanfill, Curator of 20th Century and Contemporary Fashion at the Victoria & Albert Museum, and Elizabeth Mcluskie, Fashion Buyer at Harrods.

First prize is £2,000 and a top industry placement, with two runners up receiving £1,000 and a work placement. Previous FAD Competition finalists have successfully gone on to work for companies such as Vivienne Westwood, Hussein Chalayan, Burberry and Jean Paul Gaultier.