De Montfort Fashion Students and Kornit Digital Spotlight the Future of Fashion at Leicester Made
20-07-2025
On May 14th, the Leicester Made trade event lit up the runway at Athena Leicester, celebrating a dynamic fusion of local craftsmanship, technological innovation, and emerging design talent. Among the highlights was a standout collaboration between De Montfort University (DMU) BA(Hons) Fashion Textile Design students and global print technology leader Kornit Digital.
Organised by the Leicester Fashion Week team, the catwalk show served as a vibrant showcase for the city’s resilient manufacturing sector—one that’s actively adapting to global shifts by embracing cutting-edge, on-demand textile solutions. In this spirit of progress, five striking garments, designed by DMU fashion design students in partnership with Kornit Digital, made an unforgettable impression on the runway.
(DMU – Alanna Doyle)
Utilising digitally printed fabrics created through the Kornit Digital collaboration, the student-designed garments stood as bold, visual representations of how technology and creativity are shaping the next era of fashion. This wasn’t just a demonstration of style—it was a celebration of sustainable innovation, freedom of expression, and local ingenuity.
(DMU – Elizabeth Osbourne)
The garments were produced using the Kornit Presto MAX, the most advanced roll-to-roll digital textile printing solution available today. With its XDi-powered applications, brilliant white ink performance on dark fabrics, and a vibrant colour spectrum, the Presto MAX gave students access to a level of creative freedom once reserved for high-end industry players.
(DMU – Isabelle Barton)
Brendan Mangan, GM UK/I at Kornit Digital, remarked: “We were proud to collaborate with De Montfort University on this unique fashion presentation. The digital prints used in the show demonstrate the sustainable and limitless potential of on-demand textile printing. It’s not just about speed and flexibility—it’s about empowering young designers to experiment freely, with minimal environmental impact.”
(Top and this image – DMU Lololi Quashigah)
This initiative also reflects the growing ecosystem of support for ethical, scalable UK-based manufacturing. Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion-Enter Ltd and FashionCapital, noted: “Kornit shares our mission to empower ethical, scalable UK manufacturing, and together we’re giving designers, students, and retailers the tools to lead with purpose.”
(DMU – Giselle Kandekore)
By integrating local talent, cutting-edge digital print technology, and values-driven manufacturing, the Leicester Made catwalk affirmed the region’s ability to thrive in an evolving fashion landscape.
The designers featured in this collaboration included Alanna Doyle, Isabelle Barton, Giselle Kandekore, Elizabeth Osborne and Lololi Quashigah, their designs exemplify what’s possible when education, industry, and innovation converge: garments that are as expressive as they are sustainable, and as local as they are globally relevant.
Post event images from the catwalk show have been shared with press and it was fantastic to see Elizabeth Osborne’s design used as the primary image in the Vogue Business article: Made in Leicester: How do you rebuild after a supply chain scandal? published 22 May 2025.
