Fashion Design magazine 2015 - UCA Rochester by Fashion Design Rochester

Fashion Design Rochester 1

Hello, The Fashion Design course at Rochester has an international reputation for producing individual, highly skilled and creative practitioners capable of working within all levels of the industry. Graduates have gone on to excel and innovate in a wide range of careers such as design, product development, pattern cutting, pattern and garment technology. Our excellent links with the fashion industry from global brands such as H&M and Max Mara to British companies such as Reiss and Jigsaw ensure a healthy work placement provision for students within the curriculum and excellent prospects for employment. The programme has been developed in conjunction with the requirements of the fashion industry and includes live projects to ensure the students are well versed with the demands of the fashion industry. The exciting range of studio based projects and international competitions are underpinned by a broad base of skills, both traditional craft methods and new digital techniques. The deep rooted history of conceptual design, the craft of making clothes and computer aided manufacture has helped establish and cultivate the strong sense of craftsmanship and technological innovation which has earned the course a national and international reputation for producing a mix of innovative, creative and competent technical experts. We have seen more competition successes in 2014/2015, with finalists in The Fashion Awareness Direct competition and the BFTA competition. For the first time our end of year London catwalk shows featured all three years rather than just final years. This was a really exciting, celebratory day for the whole course in our new venue at Camden Town Hall in Kings Cross. Once again we flew a group of Fashion Design students out to New York in December to experience a fun few days of culture and fashion. We had our annual alumni careers symposium in January, attended by some of our talented graduates from years gone by who discussed their careers with the students currently on the course. These included designers, pattern cutters, trend researchers and garment technologists from companies such as Fred Perry, Burberry and Tommy Hilfiger. First year students worked on a live project for River Island, designing a range for them and cutting and making an outfit. As we go to print second year students are working on an exciting live project for an exclusive Chinese label. For more information on what we have been doing please visit the Fashion Design course website fashiondesignrochester.com. We are really excited to be welcoming our first cohort of year 0 students on to the 4 year route of course in September 2015. Donna Ives, course leader 3

Fashion Design Rochester

The Visuals Photographer: Sam Chick Photographer’s Assistant: Alex Todd Stylist: Sorcha O’Raghallaigh Stylist’s Assistant: Kira Matthews Illustrations credited 4

Verity Esaw

Lauren Pullen

Jo Igao

Lauren Ward

Avgi Kalogreadou

14 14

Avgi Kalogreadou

Cassandra Tang

Katarina Lindell

Galaina Mwwanyalala

Kate Wilson

Sarah Cole

Rikki Battle

Emma Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Halloran

Samuel Vermeire

Valentina Desideri

Fashion Design Rochester

Valentina Desideri

Can you talk me through your process of developing your final collection concept? I started my research by looking back at my ethnic roots. My father is Italian and my mother is Chinese, but I was born and raised in Italy and have always been fascinated by ‘the other half ’ of my culture. Last summer I went to China and travelled around the country, and this was the starting point of my inspiration. Buddhism and the lifestyle within Tibet, their amazing almost untouched culture and the spirituality fascinated me. My collection is based on travelling and the way our sense of self can be affected by the modern city. What was the process of developing this concept into the garments for your collection? Through my research I was able to discover and fall in love with traditional Tibetan clothing, and two pieces especially, and the way they are worn by Tibetans, were the centre of my focus: the ‘chuba’, a long sheepskin coat, and the ‘bangdian’, a woollen striped apron. My analysis of these two pieces of clothing inspired the modern silhouettes and innovative pattern cutting. I have looked at the way Tibetans wear their clothing and incorporated that element within the tailoring.

The Profiles Student Portraits: Paul Astley Students Interviews: Kira Matthews 38

Are there any pattern cutting or textiles techniques that you have developed for your collection? Weaving and knitting are two of the oldest traditional activities in Tibet. The exploration of volume and shape has influenced my experimentation with knitwear. Three-dimensional knitting techniques create soft volume within my garments. I have also experimented with latex and acrylics to juxtapose the softness of the knitting and to create interest within the different textures in order to reflect the hardness of the urban metropolis against the softness of Tibetan culture. Did you face any challenges when producing your collection? I honestly don’t think there were any easy choices: working on your graduate collection for such a long time and with such intensity eventually brings you to develop a really strong attachment to the project. Every choice was the product of hours of consideration and hard work.

The Profiles

Kate Wilson

Can you talk me through the process of developing your ideas for your final collection? My initial concept was simply ‘boxes’, I really enjoy working on the stand and my best ideas come from working three dimensionally. Quite literally, I worked with boxes on the stand and loved the shapes I created through this experimentation. I also looked into construction and fragmentation. I liked breaking down the shapes and piecing them back together. I call it geoconstruction, as my designs and collage work are very irregular and geometric, paired with my new love of draping.

What messages do you want your work to convey? I’d like to think people could view fashion as a piece of art, whether it is wearable or not. I want a woman to feel empowered and amazing when they wear my clothes! Don’t be afraid to be different!

Are there any pattern cutting or textiles techniques that you have developed for your collection? The idea of fragmentation is a big part of my collection. I worked with leather and metal jump rings to make them look as though it has been broken up and put back together again. I also used bondaweb to bond leather triangles onto organza to create three-dimensional texture.

How has the course prepared you for life in the professional world? A great deal. The work placement we did during the 2nd year was a big shock to the system. I came back thinking ‘Wow this is definitely the industry I want to work in!’ When I look at my work and the skills on my CV, I’m happy with how much I have learned so far. If anything, the most important thing I have learned is having confidence in my work.

What was the hardest part of making your collection? I had two different sides to my work and I had to find a way to bring all my ideas together. I constantly had to re-evaluate and to compromise on fabric and colour. The easiest decision I had to make was the introduction of my fabric manipulation and the play on leather.

What’s the first thing you do when you get into the design studio? Write a list of things I have to do…without having a timetable or a to do list I would never finished this collection!! And secondly I put on my music and review the work I have done so far.

The Profiles

What was the concept behind your final collection? It started with this short video by photographer Sarah Moon that was about a little girl who is kidnapped by her father, which could be thought of as a pretty dark idea but I saw it as this journey that they take together exploring their relationship. I’m really close with my dad and our relationship mixed with Moon’s blurred imagery inspired much of my collection.

Emma O’Halloran

What were the most important aspects to you when developing your collection? The first thing was fabric. I was looking at the best fabrics that would create a sense of blurring within a garment. In the end, I only used two fabrics: organza and black cotton. One is stark and dense and the other is light and delicate: layered together, they create the illusion of shadows and movement. Colour came last, because in the end I felt like I was trying to force colour when all it needed to be was black, white and grey. I developed a print of my dad’s denim jacket and then printed it onto organza. It’s something that’s quite unexpected and it plays on the illusion of an image coming into focus. The organza is quite layered so it creates outfits that are fuzzy around the edges. It took me a long time to get to this point and I was always editing, but the collection simply didn’t need any more elements.

Did you face any challenges when producing your collection? Time planning was the biggest challenge. If you have a clear idea of what you need to get done, the challenge of building a collection doesn’t seem so hard. How has the course prepared you for the professional world? It’s definitely made me more aware about the financial side of design and the importance of budgeting. There was a moment where I almost ran out of money but I worked through it and I like to think that I learnt from it! It’s also taught me that sometimes you have to make a tough decision and to also have confidence in your own judgement. What has been the highlight of your time at Rochester? I love how close everyone gets with each other, like you end up learning from other people’s strengths. During the 3rd year, there’s a sense of togetherness that you experience which is unlike the 1st and 2nd year.

The Profiles

Sarah Cole

What is your greatest achievement to date? Completing my final collection has been my biggest achievement. Final year has been very tough and there have been times when I thought I can’t do this but I’m glad I stuck with it. I never started off wanting to produce a monochrome collection I always envisioned it as colourful because I am a very happy upbeat person. But I also have an appreciation and patience for craft and textiles, so I had to add this element to my work. How did you go about developing your collection? I started looking into dream catchers and the idea of becoming trapped in your own dreams. In previous projects, I always started by drawing designs first and then developing these 3-dimentionally but with my final collection, I did it the other way round. From looking at my concept I produced 3 dimensional techniques and samples that I then draped on the stand in order to then translate these designs on paper. Textile is a key element in my collection. I have experimented with knitting, macramé, laser cutting and hand cut fringing. All these techniques helped symbolise the web of the dream catcher and the idea of a web unravelling.

What would you say was the highlight of your time at UCA Rochester? Definitely meeting new people. Having so much one on one time with the tutors has really helped me gain more confidence and direction with my work. Alongside design, I also love illustration and drawing. This course has allowed me to experiment within both areas. What messages do you want your work to convey? None really. I do think it’s a collection that not everyone will understand and it’s something that not everyone will like but I think as long as people can appreciate the craftsmanship and the manufacture within my work I’ll be happy. What is the one thing that you couldn’t live without when it comes to design? A cup of tea and good company. If you’re having a bad day and want to give up or throw everything out the window because you have sewn and resewn the same seam hundreds of times, laughter and support is always the best motivation to keep going.

The Profiles

Verity Esaw

Can you talk me through your process of developing your final collection concept? My parents live in Miami and when I went on a visit last summer, I developed an interest in neon signs, both contemporary and 1950s versions. I guess I liked the juxtaposition of the new and the old merging. I then collaged images of neon signs together to develop my silhouettes. My collection is about colour, typography and textures - mix of hot dog and motels signs. It’s quite fun and playful. What’s important to you when you start the design process? Silhouettes because for this collection, it’s about the way the signs are places on the body. I also looked at the colours and the way that they worked together. Much of my work was based on my initial collages, so the details for the collection all came from there. Are there any pattern cutting or textiles techniques that you have developed for your collection? I tried to create textiles from what I saw in the signs, so if a sign was really worn out I worked with distressing denim and then putting sequins on top. I developed my own devore, which I appliqued onto things and then sequined onto. I did a lot of experimenting with all the things I could create from and with sequins. You’ve been working on your collection for about a year, what kept you inspired? I started with this ‘ice cream’ dress that was really three dimensional and technical. Everyone really

loved it but I hated it. I felt like it wasn’t me, because I like things that can just be thrown on but still be cool and effortless. So, I guess I just stayed true to who I am as a designer. There were definitely moments where I questioned myself but then playing with fabric and the textiles continued to inspire me. What did you learn about yourself as a designer whilst developing your collection? To be really patient. In the first year, if something wasn’t working, I would just walk away. But I’ve got better with that recently! With this collection, so many things had gone wrong along the way and I have learned how to deal with it. I like fun fashion; it’s definitely what I’m about. What is the one thing that you couldn’t live without when it comes to design? I’d say my laptop as I’m constantly on it researching, searching for images as well as fabrics. Also I listen to music whilst I work, it just lightens the mood. How has the course prepared you for life in the professional world? In so many ways. For a start, my production and pattern cutting skills have improved a lot. Gerber and being able to grade my designs has also been an important tool within the development of my collection. But also, I think it’s given me more confidence in myself, and in my designs.

Verity Esaw

The Credits Art Director Brendan Geoghegan Stylist Sorcha O’Raghallaigh Stylist’s Assistant Kira Matthews Photographer Sam Chick Photographer’s Assistant Alex Todd Student Portraits Paul Astley Students interviews Kira Matthews

Katie Wilson mobile: 07734595618 email: katielouisewilson@live.co.uk Lauren Pullen mobile: 07920193586 email: laurenrpullen@gmail.com Lauren Ward mobile: 07968493080 email: laurenvictoria1993@gmail.com Rikki Battle mobile: 07990878781 email: rikkibattle@hotmail.co.uk Samuel Vermeire mobile: 07888123059 email: sam_vermeire@live.co.uk

Featured Students:

Sarah Cole mobile: 07595944011 email: saza7@hotmail.co.uk

Avgi Kalogreadou mobile: 07447198086 email: avgi.kalogreadou@hotmail.com

Tian Yun Xu mobile: 07447533286 email: tinyxu1993@gmail.com

Cassandra Tang mobile: 07598466679 email: cassandra.tang@hotmail.com

Valentina Desideri mobile: 07990036831 email: vdesideri@students.ucreative.ac.uk

Emma O’Halloran mobile: 07851493114 email: emmaohalloran@hotmail.com

Verity Esaw mobile: 07904890351 email: verity.esaw@hotmail.com

Galaina Mwanyalala mobile: 07544618787 email: gmwanyalala@gmail.com Josephine Igao mobile: 07849475865 email: joigao@gmail.com Katarina Lindell mobile: 00358503482797 email: lindellkatarina@gmail.com website: http.//www.issuu.com/katarinalindell

Jo Igao

The Details Fashion Design BA (Hons) 3 years full time/www.ucreative.ac.uk/ba-fashion-design 4 years full time /www.ucreative.ac.uk/ba-fashion-design/4-year This award-winning and internationally-recognised course prepares you for a career in fashion. It is a skills-based course that takes you through the complete design process from initial concept and research, through to the design, cutting and manufacturing of a collection, specialising either in Menswear or Womenswear. You will develop and expand upon your portfolio throughout by learning and developing both traditional craft based skills as well as new and contemporary digital methods of design communication. Our course’s graduates have scooped prestigious prizes in national competitions, including winner of the Best Womenswear Collection and Gold Award for the best collection at Graduate Fashion Week, and successes in the Fashion Awareness Direct competition four years running. The course has excellent links with industry through live projects with prestigious collaborators such as Warehouse, Reiss and Margaret Howell, student submissions to external competitions and a placement opportunity in year 2. In addition to this, our course’s diverse staff bring a wealth of professional experience – many staff members continue to work in fashion, ensuring that practice and teaching on the course reflects the latest industry standards. Facilities You have access to design, pattern and production studios with specialist industrial machinery enabling you to cut and manufacture garments; an industry-standard, unique computer-aided manufacture facility – Gerber; CAD facilities for portfolio development and access to fashion textiles digital printing resources. Career opportunities Our graduates go on to work in an extensive range of careers in the fashion industry, including design, creative cutting, illustration, design room management, production management and garment technology. They have progressed in careers all over the world, including: • Commes des Garçons, Balenciaga, Lanvin and Givenchy in Paris • Max Mara and Antonio Beradi in Italy • Burberry, Stella McCartney, Reiss, Jigsaw and Karen Millen in the UK Apply via UCAS W233 R BA/FasD Typical entry requirements: Minimum entry criteria of 220 UCAS tariff points (3 year route) Minimum entry criteria of 160 UCAS tariff points (4 year route) Portfolio/Interview Portfolio to include an exploration of drawing techniques, experimentation with media, attention to presentation and annotated sketchbooks. We need to see at least one fashion design project. At interview we like to see a real passion for the subject. 46

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