BENTALLS APPLAUDS KINGSTON COLLEGE FASHION STUDENTS

 

16-18 year-old Fashion and Clothing students at Kingston College gained top marks from Bentalls Kingston fashion buyers this week when they presented concept garments for their own brand designs for a range of customised T-shirts inspired by the 1960s.

T-shirt designs from six students were selected to be produced to professional quality and will be on sale in the stores Urban Lounge on-trend designer brand section from 24 May. The winners are Shukura Grouse (17), Kirsty Maltby (17), Hannah Mathiot (16), Charlotte Moore (18), Jodie Donoghue (17), Jennifer Withnall (19). “I am amazed and thrilled,” said Charlotte Moore.”We are so lucky to have had this opportunity for real business experience. It has been inspiring.”

The Bentalls fashion buying team was extremely impressed with the students high standard of creativity, research and understanding of the Bentalls Urban Lounge customer. “The standard was much higher than we expected and many of the designs were as good as we could expect from any commercial supplier,” comments Vicky Kavanagh,
Womenwear Buyer at Bentalls.

 

Working in teams, the students were responding to an exclusive brief by Bentalls to create their own brand and design a range of customised T-shirts channelling Sienna Miller as Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl. The brief required them to research the fashion trends of the 60s – choosing from themes of Space Age, Slogan/Protest, The Summer of Love or Pop/Op Art. They also had to research their marketplace, working out what attracts fashion-conscious Bentalls customers and develop a marketing plan to include brand, logo design, pricing, labels and packaging.

So impressed were the buyers that they announced an additional special branding award – to on of the teams for its Bright Daze label – to be presented at the in-store launch.

Comments Maia Diver, the College’s Head of Fashion Faculty: The students were hugely inspired by the Bentalls brief and enthusiastically rose to the challenge. It is very rewarding that their talents and energy have been recognised, which I know will be an inspiration when planning their future career paths. As first year National Diploma fashion students they have another year before selecting the university courses they wish to apply for.

The enterprising project is the first collaboration between Kingston College’s Centre for Business Enterprise, its School of Art, Design & Media and Bentalls Kingston, in association with Fashion Enter a social enterprise set up to provide support and business advice for emerging fashion designers.

www.kingston-college.ac.uk    www.bentalls.co.uk   www.fashion-enter.com