From fab to FAD for fashion students

TWO MMU studentshave been named as finalists in a competition described by Vogue magazine as an “undeniable springboard” to a career in the industry.

Final year BA (Hons) Fashion student Robert Mills and BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology student Laura Chittenden are two of the 15 shortlisted from hundreds on entrants in the 2013 FAD competition, run by charitable organisation Fashion Awareness Direct.

Robert and Laura will now see their completed designs displayed in the Vauxhall Fashion Scout venue at February London Fashion Week, which starts on February 15th, where the winner will be chosen by a panel of experts.

Robert said: “I screamed when I saw the email. It’s a bit overwhelming – I worked really hard for it and I feel like it has paid off.”

Future Optimism

Robert continued: “I’m really excited about the platform it’s going to give me so early on in my career. The show is packed with designers’ recruiters and there are loads of opportunities to be scouted.”

Laura added: “I feel very excited to have been selected as one of the FAD finalists and cannot wait to exhibit my outfits alongside the other designers at London Fashion Week in February. It was a great brief and really allowed me to focus my creativity in a positive direction towards the future!”

The theme for this year’s competition is “Future Optimism” with entrants instructed to ask how fashion can help us live well as individuals and as a society. The brief for the designers was to envisage a key development or change taking place in the next 10 years and design two outfits which respond to it.

Robert, who is originally from Bidston, in the Wirral, said his body conscious designs are inspired by the idea of keeping women “stylish and safe” in a possible future where we have to leave the Earth’s atmosphere in order to get to work.

Great platform

First prize in the competition is £1,000 plus a work placement opportunities, while two runners up will receive £500 each and work placement opportunities.

Course leader for Fashion Jo Jenkinson said: “We are delighted Robert has been selected to show his work during London Fashion Week. Fashion Awareness Direct is a great platform for emerging design talent, we have worked with them for many years and it provides a valuable opportunity for selected students to gain experience in promoting their work in a professional environment.”

Last year’s FAD competition took a different format to celebrate the organisation’s tenth year. A total of 14 finalists, including Manchester School of Art students Jouisianne Propp and Faye Oakenfull, showed their work at London Fashion Week, but no single winner was chosen.