One to WATCH

A Year 11 Art and Design student at She eld Girls’ GDST has scooped top prize in a Jimmy Choo fashion design challenge

She eld Girls’ GDST are delighted to announce that one of their budding fashion stars of the future has been awarded the top prize in a fashion challenge set by the Jimmy Choo London Fashion Academy. Ellen Hockam in Year 11 wowed the judges with her take on sustainable garment design and has won masterclass funding, a year’s subscription to Vogue and other goodies in recognition of her e orts.

The competition asked pupils across the UK to create a sustainable garment or accessory, responding to the climate crisis and the impact the fashion industry has on the environment. Ellen started her project by researching di erent sustainable textiles and was inspired by ‘SeaCell’ and tencel fabrics produced from mixes of seaweed, algae, wood pulp and cellulose. Passionate about promoting the virtues of ‘slow fashion’ – the concept of choosing fewer but better quality clothes and wearing them for many years – over ‘fast fashion’, Ellen found her work on the competition enlightening and as she has continued to develop her skills making and crocheting her own clothes she feels she has a greater appreciation of the labour and talent involved in the fashion world.

Talking about the influence her art teachers at She eld Girls’ have had on her, Ellen says: “They always o er resources and opportunities such as this competition and they’re always there for you when you need a helping hand or someone to bounce ideas o . It really boosts the creative process and your personal growth as an artist.”

On winning the competition Ellen exclaims: “I was beyond shocked. I was lost for words. When I submitted my entry, I thought to myself that there’s no way that I’d win – especially with the extremely high standards of entries I saw. But if anything, I guess this experience goes to show that anything is possible.”

Karen Andrews, Head of Art at She eld Girls’, adds: “Ellen is an incredibly talented and committed art student who really does live and breathe all things artistic. As well as being an amazing draughtswoman and painter, she has now proven her talents in the field of fashion design with her winning submission. I am sure that Ellen will continue to take every opportunity that comes her way and the masterclasses at the Jimmy Choo Academy are only the beginning of an amazing artistic journey. We are incredibly proud of her!” she eldhighschool.org.uk

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