2024
FOOTWEAR DESIGN
BA (H ons)
TO DMU FOOTWEAR DESIGN
De Montfort University Leicester offers the only single honours Footwear Design degree outside of London – 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 and funding to the course, enabling us to recognise and honour student achievements while they study 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.
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 Adidas, Gravity Sketch, Bauer, New Balance, and Dr Martens 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, Lacoste, Adidas, Puma, Jimmy Choo, Paul Smith, Kurt Geiger, Dr Martens, Sophia Webster, Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Givenchy and Hermes.
On behalf of our graduating class of 2024, 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 Design2
WELCOME
Cover
Image: Work Created by Haena Ryu
Hamza Cementwala
Will Cockayne
Leo Comparetto
Joe Muir
Sophie Perrett
Haena Ryu
Maja Sharrett
Jemma Swales
Wunnai Tam
Bailey Westbury-Charlton
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3 CONTENTS
Cold-Blooded: The evolution of reptilian forms and their defence mechanisms.
Achievements:
• Finalist: The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers Footwear Awards (2024)
• Winner: The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers ‘Most Improved’ Second Year Student (2023)
• Winner: The Cione Biomechanics Footwear Award (2023)
• Winner: The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers ‘Orthopaedic’ Footwear Design Award (2023)
Work Experience:
• Footwear Course: Instituto Modartech, Italy (2022)
Contact: hamzacementwala@gmail.com @hazfootwear linkedin.com/in/hamzacementwala
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Cementwala
Hamza
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The Sky’s The Limit: The project delves into the world of science fiction by creating fictional ecologies for intergalactic human settlements. I have crafted three theoretical planets, each with unique ecosystems and cultures, and my footwear is designed to meet the needs of the new human inhabitants on these planets.
Achievements:
• Winner: The Cione Biomechanics Footwear Award (2023)
• 3rd Prize: Alohas Competition (2023)
Work Experience:
• Summer Internship: Next (2023)
• Footwear Course: Instituto Modartech, Italy (2022)
Contact:
williamcockayne7@gmail.com
@Snkr_Sktchs
linkedin.com/in/william-cockayne-912b04252
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Cockayne
Will
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Achievements:
• Winner: The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers ‘Scarr-Hall’ Memorial Award (2023)
Contact: P2680439@my365.dmu.ac.uk
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8 Leo Comparetto
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Dystopian Nexus:
I drew inspiration from cyberpunk for my project, focusing specifically on the colour elements associated with the theme. Incorporating dark shades with subtle pops of color enhances each design, resulting in a unified concept.
Achievements:
• Finalist: The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers Footwear Awards (2024)
• Winner: MODA Design Competition People’s Choice Award (2024)
Contact: joemuir2002@gmail.com
@712_footwear
linkedin.com/in/joe-muir-a1419a236
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10 Joe Muir
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Anacrusis: This project is a self reflection of my experiences with music and dance. It is inspired by the power of sound; looking at both the sound waves themselves, as well as the togetherness of playing music and dancing in a group.
Achievements:
• Finalist: The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers Footwear Awards (2024)
Contact: sophie.perrett31@gmail.com
@sophie_isobel_design
linkedin.com/in/sophie-perrett-287272197
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12 Sophie Perrett
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Shell:
The collection is inspired primarily by shells. It has also been influenced by the combination of organic materials, such as crinolines, and the entangled lines seen on several artworks of Océane Bruel, Siobhán Hapaska, and Sander Steins.
Achievements:
• Finalist: The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers Footwear Awards (2024)
• Finalist: Drapers Student Footwear Designer of the Year Award (2024)
• Finalist: Jimmy Choo ‘Live’ Project Competition (2022)
• Winner: The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers ‘Most Improved’ Second Year Student (2022)
• Winner: The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers ‘Most Conceptually Innovative’ First Year Student (2020)
Work Experience:
• Placement Year: Puma (2023)
Contact: haenaryu1124@gmail.com @haena_footwear
linkedin.com/in/haena-ryu-723871230
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14 Haena Ryu
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Achievements:
• 3rd Prize: Worshipful Company of Leathersellers Award (2022)
• Finalist: Jimmy Choo ‘Live’ Project Competition (2022)
Work Experience:
• Placement Year: Puma (2023)
• Footwear Course: Instituto Modartech, Italy (2021)
Contact: P2538169@my365.dmu.ac.uk
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Maja Sharrett
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18 Lost Soles: Translating the emotional lyricism of alternative music into unique abstract footwear through fabric manipulation techniques and innovative form. Achievements: • Winner: The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers ‘Scarr-Hall’ Memorial Award (2023) Contact: jsfootweardesign@gmail.com @jemswales.footwear linkedin.com/in/jemma-swales-b20710272 18 Jemma Swales
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Xenos:
The collection incorporates leather manipulation, skeletal details and mechanical features inspired by H.R. Giger, biomechanical art.
Achievements:
• Finalist: The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers Footwear Awards (2024)
• Finalist: Drapers Student Footwear Designer of the Year Award (2024)
• Winner: MODA Design Competition Award (2024)
• Winner: The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers ‘Bespoke’ Footwear Design Award (2023)
• Winner: The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers ‘Orthopaedic’ Footwear Design Award (2023)
Work Experience:
• Internship: Dr Martens (2023)
Contact:
wunnaitam@gmail.com
@wunnai.design
linkedin.com/in/wunnai-tam
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20 Wunnai
Tam
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Power & Control:
The project is a study that unearths how art & design depicts the dichotomy of good vs. evil. The final collection consists of 6 designs which fall on the power and control spectrum, each depicting a fall from grace as our natural instincts allow us to be consumed by the desire for dominance whilst demonstrating modern day hedonism.
Achievements:
• Finalist: The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers Footwear Awards (2024)
• Finalist: Drapers Student Footwear Designer of the Year Award (2024)
• Winner: Best Placement Student, ADH (2023)
• Winner: The Cione Biomechanics Footwear Award (2022)
Work Experience:
• Placement Year: Shuropody (2023)
• Footwear Course: Instituto Modartech, Italy (2021)
Contact: baileywcharlton@gmail.com
@w_charlton_footwear
linkedin.com/in/bailey-westbury-charlton-541655200
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22 Bailey Westbury-Charlton
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THANK YOU
DMU FOOTWEAR DESIGN
TUTORS
Nanette Westberg-Brown
Jonathan Morss
Philip Stewart
Elizabeth Lambourn
Ruth Jindal
Alan Beattie
Steve Weston
VISITING TUTORS
Tim King
Tony Slinger
Matthew Willis
TECHNICIANS
Michaela Wilson-George
Christine Davis
ADH Technical Support Staff
INDUSTRY
Jimmy Choo Group Ltd
VIBRAM spA
Hi-Tec Sports International B.V
New Balance Athletics Inc.
Bauer
Dr Martens
Adidas
Gravity Sketch
Joseph Cheaney & Sons
Annette Cove
Bob Angell
Lizzie Beeby
PHOTOGRAPHY
Nigel Essex
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Many thanks for the invaluable financial support
The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers
The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers
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FIND US
School of Fashion & Textiles
Faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities
De Montfort University
The Gateway Leicester
LE1 9BH
UK
T: +44 (0)116 255 1551
E: enquiry@dmu.ac.uk
W: dmu.ac.uk/footwear
GET IN TOUCH
Nanette Westberg-Brown Programme Leader, Footwear Design
E: nanette.westberg-brown@dmu.ac.uk
W: dmu.ac.uk/footwear
I: dmu_footwear_design
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27 MADE FROM MORE TOGETHER Fashion and Textiles find out more about our other programmes SCAN HERE
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dmu.ac.uk/footwear