Fashion students win at graduate fashion week

MMU FASHION students are celebrating after a hugely successful Graduate Fashion Week.

Jousianne Propp scooped not one but two prestigious national fashion prizes, the Karen Millen Portfolio Award and the Stuart Peters Visionary Knitwear Award.

And Roz Lamkin, who had already had her collection shown on ITV’s This Morning, was a finalist for the Zandra Rhodes Catwalk Textiles Award at the star-studded showcase of graduate design talent in London’s Earls Court this week (June 10 – 13).

The GFW Gala awards were judged and presented by a panel of key industry figures and celebrities including Jefferson Hack, Julien Macdonald, Matthew Williamson, Daisy Lowe, Caroline Flack and Louise Redknapp.

Future of Brit Fashion

Fashion at MMU is becoming a major source of pride for the University, with the School of Art recognised in the top five producers of young fashion deisgners for UK plc.

In 2010 Rebecca Thompson won the top prize at London GFW and past award winners include Luis Lopez Smith, Nabil El-Nayal and Aitor Throup.

2012 winner Jouisianne had already won the £2,000 Mulberry design prize and a fabric sponsorship with Hermes this year, before scooping two of a possible twelve awards at Earls Court.

Described as a ‘standout winner’ by Sky Living.com, she said: “I really wasn’t expecting to win either of the awards and definitely not both of them.

Thrilling days

“It was quite surreal but a fantastic feeling. The fact that I was down to the last three for the portfolio award was announced on Sunday night, so that had been on my mind all week, but the shortlist for knitwear was only announced after our show – so that was a complete surprise .

“It was a really thrilling few days.”

The prizes of £750 cash were presented by knitwear designer Mark Fast and Gemma Metheringham, Managing Director of Karen Millen.

Jousianne will be starting an MA in Knitwear at the Royal College of Art in September and is now hoping to follow up interest in her work from companies including Ralph Lauren and Karen Millen over the coming months.

20 students show

All 20 students who were selected to show collections at the annual showcase of graduate fashion talent have been attracting praise and media attention with students collections appearing in the Express, British and Italian Vogue, SkyLiving, The Telegraph, ElleUK, ITV’s This Morning and a host of regional and local newspapers.

Design bloggers Arts Thread described MMU’s show as ‘an impressive display with emphasis on colour, stripes and the female form. All in all a show in which the audience fully enjoyed.’

BA Fashion programme leader Jo Jenkinson said: “I’d like to congratulate all of the students on what was a fantastic show.

“They have all worked very hard both at the show and for months beforehand in preparation and all of the academic staff are extremely proud of all of the students.

Job offers

“Jousianne did fantastically well and all of the students have gained a lot from the experience with all of them making lots of industry contacts and some even walking away with job offers.”

This Graduate Fashion Week triumph marks the end of what has been a very successful year for BA Fashion.

MMU students and graduates have attracted national and local media attention, winning a range of awards and prizes and secured contracts with huge industry players such as Abercrombie and Fitch and Gap.