News
Monday 16 June 2008
Ria has knitwear prize all sewn up
Designs inspired by the landscape of the human body have earned a gifted knitwear student one of the top awards at this year’s prestigious Graduate Fashion Week. Nottingham Trent University’s Ria Thomas walked away with the Pringle of Scotland Visionary Knitwear Award at the London event, after impressing a panel of industry judges with her stunning six-piece collection.
Ria – in her final year of a Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles degree in the University’s School of Art and Design – used the body as inspiration for her work, and the notion of peeling back layers of skin, revealing and exposing inner systems and contours on the outer form. She produced a striking mix of fine knitted garments and chunky knitwear including dresses, sweaters and cardigans.
The 23-year-old’s work was part of the University’s sell-out Graduate Fashion Week catwalk show at London’s Earl’s Court on Tuesday. The event, which saw students from both the University’s Fashion Design and Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles courses showcase their work, attracts the very best fashion design talent from across the UK.
“Ria was chosen because of her technical understanding of knitwear, which she interpreted into a very modern, directional collection. Her attention to shape, stitch work and consideration of wearability, combined with innovation, was outstanding”, said
Pringle of Scotland’s Creative Director Clare Waight Keller, judging the award.
Ria, who is planning to do freelance design work after she graduates next month, said: “It was just amazing when they announced that I had won, the standard of work on show was extremely high as you would expect from Graduate Fashion Week. I have worked so hard on my collection over the last year and am overjoyed that my efforts have been recognised in this way.”
Programme Leader for Fashion Knitwear Design at Nottingham Trent University, Nicola Francis, said: “It is brilliant news, we are all so proud of Ria and what she has achieved. When we first started to see her collection take shape we knew that it was going to be something special, and she didn’t disappoint.
“It’s also great news for the course, which is unique in the UK and has a growing universal reputation for design innovation. Knitwear has been a flagship subject area for the university since 1974 and provides an exciting fusion of fashion and fabric design, giving students the opportunity to develop their own creative balance of both disciplines.”
It is the third time the university has scooped the Visionary Knitwear Award at Graduate Fashion Week, first in 1994 with Catherine Hill, and then in 2004 with Romany Taylor.
Ria’s award has capped a fantastic year in fashion for the University’s School of Art and Design which has won a host of impressive prizes. Its students have so far scooped national design competitions for Levi, River Island, Fashion Awareness Direct, ASBCI, and both the men’s and womenswear categories in the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Design Direction Awards.
ENDS
Notes for editors: For more on Graduate Fashion Week visit www.gfw.org.uk
Press enquiries please contact Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8782, or via email dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk, or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk.
