Textile Design student wins the annual Stephen Walters design competition
Hannah Balshaw will see her designs created and Included in Stephen Walter's product collections which will be shared with customers throughout the world
By Sarah Huxley | Published on 26 May 2021
Final year BA (Hons) Textile Design student Hannah Balshaw Is one of two winners of the Stephen Walters Student Competition 2021.The annual weave competition has been running for 5 years and has seen several Nottingham Trent University (NTU) students achieve success.
Stephen Walters and Sons was established In 1720 and Is a leading manufacturer of beautifully designed fabric for men's and women's apparel and accessories woven with silk and other noble fibres.
Students were briefed to produce a small collection of three designs for a high-end market, with a focus on sustainability. Students could choose to design for either apparel or furnishings.
Hannah will have her designs created, woven and Included In Stephen Walter's current collections. She will also receive a minimum of one metre of her fabric for her portfolio and receive a tour of the mill's design department and weaving floor to see how their designs are produced on a commercial scale.
Hannah's winning designs
While Hannah usually works In the specialism of print, she decided to apply for the competition to expand her portfolio. She told us: "I entered the Walters Group brief as I wanted to expand my portfolio by designing for a woven apparel collection. I chose to design for the menswear category titled classic designs with a twist in which I aimed to update classic designs such as the spot and stripe and create contemporary classics."
She went on to explain how it feels to win: "I am feeling proud to have been selected as the winner by the Walters Group and it has given me a confidence boost as I approach the end of my degree at Nottingham Trent. It has shown me that the skills I have learnt as a print specialist can be applied to many different areas within design and that I can show versatility within my portfolio. The textile design course has given me a great understanding of design processes and the industry support in my final year has been invaluable."
The Stephen Walters Group commented: "We would like to thank everyone who entered the 2021 Stephen Walters student competition. We had a great response and the standard of the projects were very high this year. The winners will have their design created, woven and included in our current collections for each product area and shown to our customers throughout the world.”