Northumbria University students scoop fashion awards

Jun 15 2009 The Journal

Fashion design students from Northumbria University scooped four top accolades at this year’s Graduate Fashion Week in London. Francesca Craggs caught up with the fashion faces of the future.

NORTHUMBRIA university fashion school is riding high after picking up four prestigious awards at Graduate Fashion Week 2009.

Hosted by Caryn Franklin, last week’s gala show at Earls Court celebrated its 18th anniversary and saw a glittering array of fashion luminaries lending their support to the event including Claudia Schiffer, Erin O’Connor, Zandra Rhodes and Jeff Banks.

Northumbria fashion students Nicola Morgan, Dulcie Dryden, Charlotte Simpson and Christina Duggan fought off stiff competition to win four of the 12 awards.

Charlotte, 21, and originally from Sheffield, was awarded the respected Zandra Rhodes catwalk textiles prize for her vibrant, patterned womenswear collection.

The criteria for this award was to find a directional and innovative collection created through the use of original design in either printed or constructed textiles, which explore the relationship between garment and textile.

The award was judged and presented by Zandra Rhodes, who said: “I chose the winner because her collection was very directional in a new three-dimensional way, with dramatic pattern, colour and handwork.”

Charlotte Simpson said: “Winning the award was really exciting. I was really surprised. My collection is inspired by a trip I took to Istanbul, especially Turkish architecture, colours, and patterns. I made a lot of my own fabric and used lots of leather, suede, and silks in bright colours. Seeing my collection on the catwalk made four years of hard work worth it.”

Dulcie, 22, from Stokesley in North Yorkshire picked up the Jon Adam Fashion Portfolio Award which was presented by Gary Gold and Melanie Laub of Jon Adam.

They said: “We chose the winner because it was a beautifully presented professional portfolio and the winner clearly has excellent design and illustration skills, coupled with a real commercial awareness.”