Students are ahead of the fashion pack

THREE Manchester students are already making their mark in the tough world of fashion.

Marianne Callaghan, Adele McNair and Natalie Dawson, who are all studying towards a BA (Hons) Fashion at the Manchester School of Art have between them won a national competition, bagged a job with an international fashion brand and sent clothes down a catwalk at the Houses of Parliament.

22 year-old Marianne won the Topman Design prize with a 15-piece capsule collection inspired by her travels in China.

She said: “When I heard I had won I was really happy, as I’d put a lot of work into the collection. I interned in China last year, so I based the outfits on my research into monks’ clothing there, combined with trend research into sporty minimalism.”

Youthful style

The Topman competition is open to students across all UK universities, and Marianne said the judges were particularly impressed by her collection’s youthful, understated style, and her experimental use of fabrics – something she learned about while studying at Manchester School of Art.

22 year-old Adele McNair was selected from hundreds of hopefuls to work at American brand Abercrombie & Fitch in Ohio after

Adele wowed the judges with a four-piece capsule collection based on vintage clothing, inspired by the company’s hunting and fishing past.

She said: “They said they like the approach I took to the project and were really happy with how I adapted to the brand and put a new spin on it by looking at new ideas.”

Tradition meets pop culture

And finally, Manchester School of Art student Natalie Dawson was selected from more than a hundred hopefuls to be one of just 12 designers to show their work at a special Graduate Fashion Week event at the seat of British politics.

Natalie’s designs are influenced by her mixed Mexican and American heritage.

She said: “It is a very personal collection – I wanted to bring together my Mexican and American heritage into one, but I didn’t want to be too traditional. The details are from Mexican portable shrines, called nicho boxes, which are mostly made to saints but in contemporary times also feature pop icons. The silhouette is based on 1950s rockabilly teenagers.”

The outfits also feature sharp pleating and decorative embroidery, and as an additional touch the jackets feature cultural icons including Buddy Holly and Marilyn Monroe.

Talented students

Lousie Adkins, Senior Lecturer in Fashion at the Manchester School of Art, said: “It’s great to see these talented students being rewarded for their hard work – they are a fantastic example of the quality of work produced by students here at the Manchester School of Art and deserve every success.”

The Manchester School of Art fashion show will take place this Thursday, May 22nd, in the School’s gallery space.

Tickets for the 7pm show are sold out, but a handful remain for the 5.30pm show. Tickets cost £10 for the general public, or £5 for staff and students and can be purchased online by clicking here.