Kingston College: From College Classroom to Designer Label

NEWS RELEASE

13 April 2007

 

 

 

FROM COLLEGE CLASSROOM TO DESIGNER LABELS

 

 

Kingston College fashion students design exclusively for Bentalls

 

 

Fashion and Clothing students at Kingston College have been challenged to design their own-label collection of T-shirts to be sold in Bentalls Kingston’s ‘Urban Lounge’, which features on-trend designer brands.  The 48 BTEC National Diploma students, working in nine groups, have been given an exclusive brief by Bentalls Kingston to create their own brand and design a range of customised T-shirts inspired by the 1960s – a major fashion influence this season, channelling Sienna Miller as Edie Sedgwick in ‘Factory Girl’.  The Design students will present their collections to Bentalls’ fashion experts on April 18 and the judges will select the winning T-shirts to be produced to professional quality then launched and on sale in-store to Bentalls’ customers on May 24 [2007].

 

 

 

The initiative gives the 16-18 year-old College students an insight into the ‘real world’ of fashion design and retailing. The brief requires them to research the fashion trends of the 60s and their market place – working out what attracts fashion-conscious Bentalls customers – and develop a marketing plan.  Working as a professional team, they will use their knowledge of textures, shapes and colour to design T-shirts that are not only creative but also commercially viable, choosing from the themes of: Space Age, Slogan/Protest, The Summer of Love, or Pop/Op Art.  Graphic Design students will be involved in producing the T-shirts’ labels and packaging, with Photography students taking pictures throughout the assignment.  All the T-shirts will be exhibited in the Penny School Gallery in June, and modelled in the spectacular end-of-year College Fashion Show. 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Liz Ogilvie, Director of Business Enterprise at Kingston College, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our Fashion students to work with Bentalls, giving them a unique insight into designing and creating a product, presenting it to a buying team and then manufacturing and selling a garment.  It’s only been made possible with the support of Fashion Enter and Bentalls and we’re delighted for the College to be working in partnership with such an important local employer.”

 

 

 

Comments Maia Diver, the College’s course leader:  “The students have been hugely inspired by the Bentalls brief and have risen to the challenge of working to an industry set deadline. As first year National Diploma fashion students they still have another year before selecting the University courses they want to apply for and their future career paths.  This collaborative project with Bentalls has helped them realise where their talents lie – in the designing, manufacture or marketing of their products, and I’ve been extremely impressed with their professionalism and the quality of the garments they have produced.”

 

 

 

Jenny Holloway, Director of Fashion Enter, commented: “There are reportedly over 7,000 students leaving higher education fashion courses each year.  It is vitally important to engage with industry so they have a complete understanding of how commerce works in today’s highly competitive fashion business.  Fashion Enter’s programme ‘Getting it Right First Time’ connects students directly with a retailer to showcase their garments, and Kingston College has been an outstanding supporter of this new concept.”

 

 

 

The team at Bentalls is committed to the project and involved at all stages.  Comments Judy Cimdins, Head of Womenswear: “We are thrilled to be involved and support the talents and creativity of the students.  Fashion is a very important part of our business and who could be better to tell us what students want to buy than the students themselves?”

 

 

 

“Getting the mix right between offering something edgy to our customers but robust enough to withstand wear and tear will be a challenge, and we’re excited to see and choose from their designs,” says Vicky Kaganagh, Womenswear Buyer at Bentalls.  Comments Vanessa Frances, Head of Marketing:  “Bentalls has always been an important part of the community and in this our 140th anniversary year we thought it would be great to work with Kingston College and support the fashion designers of tomorrow.”

 

 

 

ENDS

 

 

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