The future of fashion

Photography team :

Vicky Tarrant, Tom Pearce, Tharsika Arulsothy, Wenna Makin and Torgeir Rorvik, BA (Hons) Fashion Photography

Let loose on everything from industrial overlockers to ultrasonic welders and hand-dying workshops, our Fashion Design and Sportswear Design students use state-of-the-art equipment to bring their ideas to life. Meet some of the fashion stars of the future and see what inspires their signature looks.

LifeCycle (left)

Designer: Hannah Howell, BA(Hons) Sportswear Design

“The LifeCycle collection provides functional clothing for professionals so they can feel confident travelling by bike wherever they need to go.

“By utilising fabrics such as 'Halley Stevensons’ waxed cotton, which evolves over time and shows the beauty of ageing through folds and creases, as well as renewable performance fibres like tencel and wool, garment maintenance is not only easy to do, but something to be celebrated.

“The addition of ‘Dashing Tweeds’ Lumatwill reflective tweed also increases the garment’s visibility, which is essential for safe commuter cycling, while allowing the item to remain elegant and suitable for everyday wear.”

Designer:

Zoe Murphy, BA(Hons Fashion Design

Juvenescence

“My knitwear collection Juvenescence explores experiences in lockdown – working from childhood bedrooms, feelings of nostalgia, reflecting on childhood memories through rose-tinted glasses and the resurgence of home crafting.

“Taking inspiration from a variety of different areas, from home-sewing patterns of the 1970s to extreme 1980s power-dressing, the collection aims to invoke joy felt when reminiscing about more carefree times.

"It does so through a bright colour palette and fun graphic prints, derived from markmaking inspired by childhood memories of being outdoors."

The collection aims to invoke joy felt when reminiscing about more carefree times

Like Meccano, the shapes were ready to be put together – the limit for design was simply my imagination

Designer:

Flick Holden, BA(Hons Fashion Design

Meccano inspired

“Last summer I unearthed a box of 1930s Meccano that belonged to my civil engineer grandfather. I had a strong sense that this set of perforated shapes contained a rich bank of opportunities and it satisfied my intention to approach the year with a light-hearted, childlike playfulness.

“I jumped into the world of vintage Meccano and, as a result, began to gravitate towards the vision of creating a fashion equivalent of the construction set.

“An exploratory use of the laser cutting machine, combined with extensive draping and the realisation that screws could be used to connect the clothing in place of sewing, underpinned my progress. From enlarged scans of the Meccano set, I designed perforated shapes that took on a life of their own when draped on the body, creating sophisticated sculptural silhouettes that were completely interchangeable. Like Meccano, the shapes were ready to be put together – the limit for design was simply my imagination.”