Youth Fashion Wandsworth
25-11-2013
Young people aged 15-19 have applied and have now been shortlisted for the scheme. Successful applicants will be taken on a fashion journey, with the chance to develop their skills in the design and creation of garments.
Click here to review the brief for the project: The_Brief_Youth_Fashion_Wandsworth_project.pdf
The young people will submit ideas for garments that will be professionally made up, then styled and modelled for a photo shoot. The event will culminate in a high-profile exhibition at the Pump House Gallery in Battersea Park to show off the students’ work alongside that of top designers. The exhibition will reveal and celebrate the range of creative processes and skills involved in making the final garment that appears on the catwalk.
The Youth Fashion Wandsworth project is the brainchild of the mayor of Wandsworth, Angela Graham, who has devoted her mayoral year to creating opportunities for the borough’s young people to succeed.
She is working with the council’s arts and youth teams and with Fashion Enter Ltd, which supports the garment industry as a centre for skills development. Fashion Enter staff will be helping the young people get a real understanding of what working in the fashion industry is all about, and will teach them about design, pattern-cutting, garment construction and sewing.
Fashion Enter, the largest provider in the country for fashion and textiles apprenticeship programs, will offer valuable follow-on opportunities for the young people involved, including the chance to showcase their work at a major industry event.
Cllr Graham said:
“I’m thrilled about this project. It’s a great opportunity for young people to gain experience which will be great for the CV and will help them get jobs and apprenticeships.
“All sorts of opportunities are opening up in Wandsworth in leisure, retail, hospitality, fashion and other trades, and we want our young people to be in a position to take advantage of them.”
Fashion Enter comments:
“As the largest training providers for Fashion and Textile apprenticeships in the UK, Fashion Enter is delighted to be involved with the Youth Fashion Wandsworth project. Great young talent needs to be supported and nurtured and we are here to provide guidance and training to help them on their way.”
The project was launched in January, and the final exhibition will be promoted as part of the Wandsworth Arts Festival in May.
If you are interested in taking part or finding out more please contact Justine Kenyon on (020) 8871 7037 or email jkenyon@wandsworth.gov.uk.
Youth Fashion Wandsworth – Potential Participants Visit the Factory
Hopeful participants for the Youth Fashion Wandsworth project visited the Factory yesterday (21st January 14) for an insight into the industry and an initial selection process to gain a place on the project. The hopefuls were given a guided tour of the Factory and then asked to complete a questionnaire about themselves and design a garment using one of London’s iconic buildings for inspiration, looking at form and structure to influence their design. The creativity was certainly flowing with some fantastic innovative designs coming through.
Here’s what some of the participants had to day about the visit:
Serena Sutherland “I just wanted to thank you for having us and showing us around, my fashion teacher was very proud of us, that we went and gained an experience of seeing a live factory. I’ve never been in a clothes factory before and I’m glad I got to. It made me feel like I was in at TV show called ‘Styled to rock’. All the things that we do at school in fashion I saw but it was but 10X bigger and better.”
Isatou Ceesay “I liked the fact I saw a live factory that make clothes for stores I actually shop in. This really inspired me for my future career.”
Lillian Esianor “It was very inspirational and I learnt a lot. It was amazing and outstanding and I’m inspired for the future.”
Phyllis Frimpong “I had a wonderful experience today in the factory and I had a chance to see the making process live.”
Fahima Alim “Aspire to inspire… the tour has inspired me because watching the workers put so much effort into their work has motivated me!”
Fashion Enter interviewed each of the participants and will now judge the entries to determine who will go on to take part in the unique project…watch this space!
The project brief takes design inspiration from London architecture
(Images from top to bottom; Sonia pattern cutting at the Stitching Academy, Shana prepping a machine at the Stitching Academy, Ette catwalk show image by Chris Daw, mixed snapshots from participants factory visit.)
Youth Fashion Wandsworth Project Update 29th January 2014
15 hopeful candidates for the Wandsworth Youth Project visited the Factory last week in the hope of being selected as finalists for the innovative project.
Candidates were treated to an insight into the fashion industry through a guided tour of the factory and a talk from Jenny Holloway before being given time to sketch their designs. The designs were to be created using iconic British architecture as inspiration for structure and silhouette. The winner will go onto develop their skills and see their design come to life, styled and modelled in a professional photo shoot. Before going onto be displayed in Pump House Gallery in Battersea Park, alongside other top designers work.
Impressed with the high calibre of candidates, the judging of the final 10 was a tough call. The Fashion Enter staff were responsible for choosing the finalists, based on the individuals designs, passion and unique creativity. We are delighted to announce the 10 candidates that have been shortlisted for the project:
Serena Sutherland
Lillian Esianor
Imogen Murphy
Isatou Ceesay
Nwando Onwuachu
Phyllis Frimpong
Fahima Alim
Nabilah Vazir
Letisha McDonald
Pelumi Odubanjo
These 10 candidates will now go on to take part in a textile master class with Fashion Enter this Saturday 1st February before going on to take part in a design master class on the 15th February.
Following these 2 classes, the candidates will then be given time to create their own designs ready for the selection process with the Mayor of Wandsworth on February 26th.
Wandsworth Fashion Project Takes Candidates to a Textile Masterclass
After being narrowed down to 10 successful candidates, the Wandsworth Youth Fashion Project took the creative 10 to a textile master class with Fashion Enter on Saturday (1st February).
Following their visit to The Factory last week, the 10 were invited back to take part in a textile masterclass after their innovative design skills and passion for the project shone through to the judges. Candidates were treated to an in-depth presentation on designers of the future, the problems that may arise and how to overcome them for their future careers. They then were able to show off their design skills further, by creating a 3 colour geometric design and adding this to their existing design to adapt before being shown how to embroider.
The candidates also had the opportunity to meet and speak to the Mayor of Wandsworth, Angela Graham.
“Today I learnt about the ethics of fashion design and future materials for the fashion industry. I enjoyed creating new design patterns from my original design.” Imogen Murphy
“I learnt about the background and issues of where our clothes come from. Also, new embroidery techniques and stitches e.g. satin and split stitch. I really enjoyed using the heat press to create my pattern.” Fahima Alim
The final 10 will go onto take part in a design masterclass on the 15th February, before being given time to use their skills gained during the classes to apply and create their designs, where they will be presented to the Wandsworth Mayor.
The winner of the project will go onto develop their skills and see their design come to life, styled and modelled in a professional photo shoot. Before going onto be displayed in Pump House Gallery in Battersea Park, alongside other top designers work.
Wandsworth Design Master Class
Following the textiles master class the 10 young candidates on the Youth Fashion Project in Wandsworth were taken to the next stage in a design master class on Saturday 15th February.
The session began with an in depth review of the design life cycle to ensure the learners fully understood the whole process from initial idea right through to delivery. The day was then spent creating their mood boards which enabled each of them to determine their fabrics, embellishments, colour palette and inspiration. It was fantastic to see such creativity and ideas evolving with each of them clearly enjoying the whole process and seeing their designs develop….
‘It was inspirational. My board started one way and ended up amazing in red and white block.’ Serena Sutherland
‘My building is St Pauls Cathedral and I have loved looking at the different shapes of the dome and experimenting with styles for my design. I can’t wait to see the finished garment!’ Phyllis Frimpong
‘I thought today was really useful because I never thought that my idea would have developed to this level.’ Isatou Ceesay
Next stage will see the candidates present their mood boards and final design to a panel of industry experts and the Mayor of Wandsworth on 26th February.
The Final Five!
Last night (26th February) in Wandsworth Town Hall experts from the fashion industry and the Mayor of Wandsworth gathered to judge the mood boards and design ideas from the young candidates on the Youth Fashion Wandsworth Project.
Displaying to a panel of expert industry professionals, the judging panel was made up of Michaela Jedinak, Tanya Elizabeth, Jenny Holloway, Wendy Coley and Orsola De Castro and Mayor Angela Graham.
Judged on their creativity, ability throughout the competition, moodboards and designs the final 10 were then narrowed down to 5 lucky contestants. The final 5 were:
Lillian Esianor
Imogen Murphy
Isatou Ceesay
Nabilah Vazir
Letisha McDonald
The final 5 will now go onto take part in a pattern cutting masterclass to help in production of their designs at the Fashion Enter factory. The winning designs will be produced in time for the launch of 25th April at the Pump House Gallery in Wandsworth where the finished dresses will be displayed alongside other professional designers work.
“ It was a big honour and I very much enjoyed it. It is great to see all the work and education you do with young inspiring people- all very inspiring!” Michaela Jedinak – Judge
Production of The Dresses Begins!
On Saturday 22nd March 2014, the five winning designers of the Youth Fashion Wandsworth Project visited the Fashion Enter Factory to take part in a final masterclass; a practical sewing and construction masterclass to continue production with their dress designs.
The five young designers have been taught production techniques to allow them to assist in the construction of their designs, including helping with pattern making, assisting with the finishes and using an industrial sewing machine! Assisted by Fashion Enter pattern cutter Beth Davy Day and all under the watchful eyes of Head of Learning, Wendy Coley and Wandsworth Mayor, Angela Graham.
Beth Davy Day comments:
The final designs will be ready and on display at The Pump House gallery in Wandsworth on April 25th.
Pump House Gallery
Battersea Park, London
SW11 4NJ
http://pumphousegallery.org.uk
Professional Photographer Visits The Factory
On Saturday 5th April, a photographer came to the Fashion Enter Factory to photograph the completed final five designs of the Youth Fashion Wandsworth project.
The winning, architecture-inspired designs were styled on a professional model, alongside the help of the five young designers who styled hair and makeup to complete their vision. The young designers were very enthusiastic and keen to translate their vision onto photoshoot,k with one of the winning designers, Letisha McDonald commenting, “I’m so pleased with my finished dress, made by Fashion Enter’s Stitching Academy. It fits well with my theme and mood-board. As I am the designer I enjoyed styling the model, making decisions on hair, makeup and shoes.”
The Mayor of Wandsworth, Angela Graham also paid The Factory a visit to have a look at the finished designs and see them being styled for the photoshoot. Angela was particularly impressed with the idea of The Factory, the idea behind the Made in Britain label, overwhelmed at how close to home the manufacturing was taking place.
Check out some behind the scenes photos from the day here:
Make sure you pop along to see the dresses at The Pump House Gallery on the 25thof April and have a read up of the whole competition here: http://fashioncapital.co.uk/News/26510-youth-fashion-wandsworth-.html
http://pumphousegallery.org.uk
