Student designer scoops Graduate Fashion Week prize

STUDENT designer Camilla Grimes has bagged the £1,000 Creative Catwalk Award at this year’s Graduate Fashion Week.

The 22 year-old Manchester School of Art student said she was “in shock” when she heard that she had won the prestigious prize.

She said: “I think it’s amazing to win the Creative Catwalk Award – if any of the awards was going to suit my bonkers collection, this was the one!”

Eclectic mix

Camilla impressed the judges with her collection that combined quirky cat prints with luxurious fabrics and sporty touches.

She said: “My final collection is an eclectic mix of colours and textures, oversized silhouettes and contrasting textures next to one another, with a sportswear feel. I have worked a lot with embroidery and print, and all of the garments are worked into.

“I change and modify all of the fabrics through washing, and then using surface texture such as embroidery and embellishment to make them my own. My collection is a collision of mad ideas and colours, all inspired by my love of cats!”

Extraordinary originality

The Creative Catwalk Award is given to “a collection that clearly demonstrates an extraordinary level of originality, creativity and conceptual understanding, as well as garment construction executed with an exceptional level of skill, innovation and workmanship.”

Camilla said: “ My collection is inspired by sportswear, but has a luxury, expensive feel that doesn’t relate straight back to sportswear. Many of my garments have a level of hand- made quality, and some of the embroidery can take up to seven hours for one cat face.”

Before the awards were announced, the competition judges said: “The winner will be an outstanding student who designs, cuts, makes, accessorises, and styles a collection that makes a powerful and memorable impact.”

Great achievement

Head of Design Joe McCullagh said: “I am delighted for Camilla and the great achievement in receiving this highly regarded GFW award.

“Her catwalk collection was full of creative expression, individuality and attitude. Her collection epitomises what we really value at Manchester School of Art where we put great focus upon the unconventional balanced with the professional.

“It has been a great year all round what with our success for the BA Fashion programme in receiving the Creative Skillset accreditation and now this success for Camilla. We have another truly exciting crop of fashion students from the school.”