De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) offers the only single honours Footwear Design degree in the UK – delivering a distinctive blend of taught components to best provide the next generation of shoemakers and designers with the skills they need. The course has impressive industry links and influential relationships within the international fashion sector. The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers and The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers both provide vital support to the course through their generous monetary funding, enabling us to recognise and honour student achievements within their studies with us.
Our academic and technical teams work hard to provide our students with a rich and rewarding experience. We deliver insight to the traditional craft of shoemaking, combined with the development of 3D design technologies using our state-of-the-art facilities, including immersive VR equipment. Our students create hand-illustrated sketches and digital designs, to sit alongside the technical making skills of their 3D prototypes, producing a diverse range of footwear categories including women’s fashion, performance sports and men’s bespoke orthopaedic shoes. Students are able to work on live projects with global brands, enter prestigious competitions both nationally and internationally, and develop their own unique footwear design handwriting under the expert guidance of our experienced staff. Our Senior Lecturer Phil Stewart has recently been acknowledged by the British Footwear Association in their inaugural Footwear50, which recognises “the most important, influential and inspiring people in the footwear trade in 2022.”
We have an excellent network of industry contacts, which ensures our students have the best opportunities to work on collaborative industry projects. This provides them with invaluable experiences to gain relevant industry skills and networking opportunities with major international companies. Our students have recently completed live projects with New Balance, Vibram, Hi-Tec, and Jimmy Choo to name but a few. As a result, many work experience and internship opportunities are often created. We are so proud of our graduates, and many go on to companies such as Nike, New Balance, Lacoste, Adidas, Puma, Jimmy Choo, Paul Smith, Sophia Webster, Alexander McQueen, Gucci and Givenchy.
The past few years have proven challenging, with many of this year’s graduating students joining us at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and with the resulting restrictions in place. However, with our support students have been able to realise their potential, demonstrating a high degree of resilience, adaptability, and creative spirit in the work they produced.
On behalf of our graduating class of 2023 from Footwear Design BA (Hons), I am delighted to showcase the variety of work they have produced. We wish them all the very best for the future and look forward to seeing how their careers progress.
Nanette Westberg-Brown Programme Leader, BA (Hons) Footwear DesignJihwi Ahn
Zackary John Boylan
Jake Collinson
Finn Grear
Madison Harwood-Scott
Euan Jarrett
Ellie (Jinyeong) Jung
Jong Won Kim
Woosung Kim
Gyoungryoung Kwak (Lynn)
Jooyoung Lee
Cameron Murdoch
Bobby Nangla
Alfie Payne
Jemma Swales
Alan Tan
Shu Yu Yang (Yuki)
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Jihwi Ahn
Ode to a Metaphor:
A womenswear collection that is influenced by the abstract use of metaphors as an essential tool for communication. Pushing the boundaries of the written word’s meaning to enable familiar concepts to be perceived from a different perspective.
Achievements:
• 2022 Runner-up - The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers
‘Bespoke’ Footwear Design Award
• 2022 Finalist - The Cione Biomechanics Footwear Award
• 2023 Finalist - MODA Design Competition Award
• 2023 Shortlisted - Cordwainers Footwear Awards
• 2023 Shortlisted - Drapers Footwear Student Award
Work Experience:
• 2022 Footwear Course - Instituto Modartech, Italy
Contact:
Jihwi.footwear@gmail.com
@jihwi.footwear
linkedin.com/in/jihwi-ahn-a95031270
“Trickees”:
A high-end welted men’s lifestyle collection, designed exclusively for traditional footwear brand Trickers. Inspired by motor racing, this collection incorporates some key features of the sport into the designs.
Work Experience:
• Nike, London HQ - product insights division
Contact:
zackaryjohnboylan7@gmail.com
@zjboylanfootwear
linkedin.com/in/zackary-boylan-403349268
The Satori Club:
Taking inspiration from parallel worlds and collectable toys, this collection incorporates fully 3D modelled and printed concepts, including packaging design, using advanced digital innovations.
Achievements:
• 2022 Winner - The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers ‘Scarr-Hall’ Memorial Award
• 2023 Shortlisted - Cordwainers Footwear Awards
Contact: jakecolly2001@gmail.com
@Jakecolly
linkedin.com/in/jake-collinson
Gunpla:
This collection is a fusion of Gundam (Japanese Mecha style robots), formal and outdoor styling. Inspired by Gundam’s colour palette, angular shapes and art style, with references to vintage video game character designs.
Achievements:
• 2022 Winner - The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers ‘Bespoke’ Footwear Design Award
• 2023 - Roadley Award for innovation in Sustainable Design
• 2023 Shortlisted - Cordwainers Footwear Awards
Contact: finngrear@gmail.com
@fg_ftwrdesign
linkedin.com/in/finn-grear-55563a259
Flux:
This collection focuses on the importance of shape, sculptures and wearable art. The inspiration is modern surrealism; influenced by surrealist artists and sculptors such as Barbara Hepworth, Salvador Dali, and Jean Arp...after all, what is art without surrealism?!
Achievements:
• 2023 Winner of ‘Only Shoes Can Save Us Now’ project with artist Jo Cope, work displayed in exhibition
• 2023 Finalist - MODA Design Competition Award
• 2023 Shortlisted - Cordwainers Footwear Awards
Work Experience:
• Internship - Purdy Creative, designing women’s trainers
Contact:
maddieharwoodscott@gmail.com
@madison.hs.shoes
linkedin.com/in/madison-harwood-scott-15327b259
Retrofuturism:
This collection uses a blend of classical and futuristic design styles to create a capsule collection for the everyday needs of a professional football player. Based around Marcus Rashford and his roots in Manchester, the collection takes inspiration from the style of the city.
Contact:
euanjarrett@gmail.com
@euanjarrett.footwear
linkedin.com/in/euan-jarrett-3375a5259
Abyss:
The collection focuses on the duality of people’s identity. By combining contradictory properties together, it is possible to understand the complexities of the individual.
Achievements:
• 2022 Finalist - The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers
‘Bespoke’ Footwear Design Award
• 2022 Shortlisted - Real Leather. Stay Different. UK Student
Competition
Ellie (Jinyeong)
• 2023 Shortlisted - Drapers Footwear Student Award
Work Experience:
• 2021 Footwear Course - Instituto Modartech, Italy
Contact:
wjd293917@gmail.com
@ell.f.j
linkedin.com/in/jinyeong-jung-315144254 Ellie (Jinyeong)
Stained Reflection:
The collection is inspired by the concept of light passing through stained glass, combining patterns of light with the style and motifs of Gothic architecture, to create aesthetic details that are realised through 3D printing.
Achievements:
• 2022 Winner - Jimmy Choo Design Competition
• 2022 Winner - The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers ‘Orthopaedic’ Footwear Design Award
• 2022 Finalist - The Cione Biomechanics Footwear Award
• 2023 Finalist - MODA Design Competition Award
• 2023 - Roadley Award for innovation in Sustainable Design
• 2023 Shortlisted - Cordwainers Footwear Awards
Kim
Work Experience:
• 2021 Footwear Course - Instituto Modartech, Italy
Contact: jongkim1409@gmail.com
Jong
Jong Won Kim
@jong____kim
linkedin.com/in/jong-won-kim-b3301926b
Plummet:
The collection is inspired by high diving, overcoming fear to express beauty by rotating the body while plummeting into the water. These dynamic motions are a key influence within the designs. Upon impact of the water, droplets disperse in all directions producing waves, patterns and textures.
Achievements:
• 2023 Winner - MODA Design Competition Award
• 2023 Shortlisted - Cordwainers Footwear Awards
Work Experience:
• 2022 Footwear Course - Instituto Modartech, Italy
• unblown_made - Leather Goods Hand Stitcher
Contact:
sjg02229@gmail.com
@Sung_e0823
linkedin.com/in/woosung-kim-91a413160 Woosung
The Moment:
Gyoungryoung Kwak (Lynn)
Gyoungryoung Kwak (Lynn)
This collection is inspired by the concept of immortalizing a moment in time. Influenced by the notion of preserving memories that can be remembered forever, the collection consists of wearable art pieces.
Achievements:
• 2022 Winner - Jimmy Choo Design Competition
• 2022 Runner-up - The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers
‘Orthopaedic’ Footwear Design Award
• 2023 Finalist - MODA Design Competition Award
• 2023 Shortlisted - Cordwainers Footwear Awards
• 2023 Shortlisted - Drapers Footwear Student Award
Work Experience:
• 2022 Footwear Course - Instituto Modartech, Italy
Contact:
lynn.kwak22@gmail.com
@lynn_kwak_
linkedin.com/in/lynn-kwak-541785272
Light From The Dark:
This collection was influenced by the concept of light. Since light itself is not an object, inspiration was taken from light emerging from dark places as well as installation art displays.
Achievements:
• 2023 - Roadley Award for innovation in Sustainable Design
Work Experience:
• Outsole manufacturing Factory
Contact: 2j02417@naver.com @lee.jooy
linkedin.com/in/jooyoung-lee-31604226b
Trancendence:
This collection was inspired by Hubble’s law of expansion; the concept of the universe expanding at an exponential rate. The collection replicates the effects that black holes have on space-time, in particular, the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A and it’s orange event horizon within the radiation that it admits.
Achievements:
• 2022 Winner - The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers ‘Scarr-Hall’ Memorial Award
• 2023 Finalist - MODA Design Competition Award
• 2023 - Roadley Award for innovation in Sustainable Design
• 2023 Shortlisted - Cordwainers Footwear Awards
Work Experience:
• 2021 Footwear Course - Instituto Modartech, Italy
Contact:
camerongt13@gmail.com
@murdoch_footweardesign
linkedin.com/in/cameron-murdoch-763b121b7
Distopian Future:
This collection is inspired by the negative impact of technology on society within a dystopian future. Influenced by elements of sci-fi combined with future innovations, the collection consists of wearable technology and explores the use of mixed realities.
Achievements:
• 2021 - Springline Last Design Award
• 2022 Winner - Kickers Collective
• 2022 Winner - The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers ‘Bespoke’ Footwear Design Award
• 2022 Winner - The Cione Biomechanics Footwear Award
• 2023 Finalist - MODA Design Competition Award
• 2023 Winner - MODA People’s Choice Award
• 2023 - Roadley Award for innovation in Sustainable Design
• 2023 Shortlisted - Cordwainers Footwear Awards
Bobby Nangla
Bobby Nangla
Work Experience:
• Pentland Brands - Kicker’s footwear design intern
• Church’s - Footwear Apprentice
Contact:
bobbynangla1@gmail.com
@bobby.nangla
linkedin.com/in/bobbynangla
Delva:
This collection is inspired by early retro futuristic outtakes on fashion from the 1960’s. Influenced by designers such as Paco Rabanne and André Courrèges, the collection incorporates fashion elements that are impacted by space wear.
Achievements:
• 2022 Finalist - The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers ‘Bespoke’ Footwear Design Award
• 2023 Finalist - MODA Design Competition Award
• 2023 - Roadley Award for innovation in Sustainable Design
• 2023 Shortlisted - Cordwainers Footwear Awards
Work Experience:
• 2021 Footwear Course - Instituto Modartech, Italy
• Volunteer - British Textile Biennial, Adidas Spezial Exhibition.
Contact: 23alfie@gmail.com
@alfie_payne123
linkedin.com/in/alfie-payne-b11b65272
Adept Alternative:
This collection is influenced by alternative live music events. The collection features elements such as studs and spikes on classically commercial footwear silhouettes.
Achievements:
• 2023 Finalist - MODA Design Competition Award
Contact:
jsfootweardesign@gmail.com
@jemswales.footwear
linkedin.com/in/jemma-swales-b20710272 Jemma
Contact:
brokenskullfootwear@gmail.com
@broken_skull_footwear
linkedin.com/in/alan-tan-135287266
Shu Yu Yang (Yuki)
Yuki Yang (Shu-Yu Yang)
The Corset & Crinoline: This collection is inspired by the corset and the connotations surrounding the beautification of women. The collection is influenced by fashion designer Cierra Boyd reworking upcycled sneakers patterns into corsets.
Achievements:
• 2022 Finalist - The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers ‘Bespoke’ Footwear Design Award
Work Experience:
• Vietnamese shoe factory - Purchaser
Contact: yuki.yangaa@gmail.com
