News

Monday 9 June 2008

Leading online retailer eyes fashion student's designs

Fashion design student Emma Wood is celebrating after taking the top prize at the spectacular catwalk finals of the ASBCI Student Design Award. Nottingham Trent University student Emma put two of her garments forward for the competition, which challenged final year students to design and create innovative ‘occasion wear’.

About 200 students entered the competition – sponsored by the Shop Direct Group, formerly Littlewoods Shop Direct – who were then whittled down to just 12 for the final. Emma won £1,500 and the chance to have her designs sold online as part of the Shop Direct Group’s Designer Collection, alongside such designer greats as Amanda Wakeley and Anne Louise Roswald. She also receives three years’ free membership to clothing and textiles forum, ASBCI.

The Shop Direct Group’s Ladies Wear Buying Director, Jane Hotz, said: “The standard of design was extremely high and applicants rose spectacularly to the challenge to create feminine and fabulous special occasion wear for the ‘Designer Collection’. The level of technical innovation in the winning designs was particularly impressive and we are always looking for innovation.

“Shop Direct Group feels very privileged to be able to work with and support such young talented designers and to be able to give all three winners a fantastic opportunity to have their designs produced and sold online as an exclusive range.”

Students showed their designs to more than 130 ASBCI members and their guests during the event at Dunchurch Park Hotel in Rugby.

ENDS

Notes for editors: Run by the ASBCI student membership committee, the ASBCI Annual Student Design Award and the ASBCI Annual Dissertation Award are open to all final year students studying at fashion colleges throughout the UK. The ASBCI student membership committee was established to give students working towards design, technical and laboratory testing, textile design, retail business and many other related qualifications a greater practical and commercial understanding of the fashion industry.

For more information please contact: Stephanie Ingham, ASBCI, on Tel: 01422 354666, or via info@asbci.co.uk; Anthony Taylor, Shop Direct Group Press Dept, on Tel: 0870 263 3269, or via anthony.taylor@littlewoods.co.uk; or Dave Rogers, Senior Press Officer, Nottingham Trent University, on Tel: 0115 848 8782, or via dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk.