Fashion students head for London

TWENTY budding fashion designers from MMU have been selected by a panel of external judges to show their designs at Graduate Fashion Week in London.

Final-year BA (Hons) Fashion students will each send six stunning creations down the catwalk at Earls Court this evening (June 10) amid the glitz and glamour of the UK’s fashion capital.

Graduate Fashion Week judges select the best fashion students from across the country to show at the event each year, which attracts press and industry professionals from across the globe and has seen students snapped up by the likes of Donna Karen, Gucci and Calvin Klein.

Unique opportunity

Manchester student Agape Mdumulla, 22, said: "I’ve worked backstage at Graduate Fashion Week for the past two years, so it’ll be strange to see my own designs hit the runway.

"One of the reasons I got into fashion was my frustration at menswear collections, which barely change year on year. My work combines tailoring and casual elements to create functional and versatile garments.

"In fact, many of the pieces can be worn in more than one way using zips, press studs, buttons and detachable pockets. I hope they get a great response."

Programme Leader for Fashion at MMU, Alison Welsh, said: "It’s difficult for designers starting out to get noticed by the fashion industry and all the students have done fantastically well to be picked for Graduate Fashion Week. The event provides students with a unique opportunity to showcase their talent, make great contacts and spring board their career."

Catwalk comes to Manchester

MMU is one of the strongest fashion schools in the UK and the talented team will be hoping to replicate last year’s success in London, which saw our fashion students win the Zandra Rhodes Catwalk Textiles Award and come runner-up for Mulberry’s Accessories Award.

MMU's current crop of fashion designers will also be staging a catwalk show in Manchester next week.

Collections from the final-year group will be paraded at the University’s Capitol Theatre on Oxford Road on 16th June 2008 at 4.30pm and 7.30pm.

Tickets are £5 in advance from Phoebe Bois on 0161 247 3525 or p.bois@mmu.ac.uk or danielleparry@googlemail.com

For more information on fashion at MMU see www.artdes.mmu.ac.uk/fashion