Fashion Design student from NTU announced as winner of RSA Design Awards
Published: 13/07/2021
The RSA Student Design Awards take place every year and offer university students the opportunity to showcase their creative talent.
There were eight creative briefs students could choose to respond to and all the briefs tackled a different, social, economic or environmental issue.
Poppy Howell, MA Fashion Design student at NTU, has been announced as one of the winners of Brief 7: For the long time. This brief asked students to answer the question, “How might we encourage people and community to think and act for the long term?” In response to the brief, Poppy planned a sustainably designed fashion exhibition inspired by the heritage and identity of her home town, Hull. The aim of the exhibition is to play a part in community conversation and help people imagine a future affected by rising sea levels.
Poppy’s exhibition is titled Solastalgia, a term that describes the specific stress humans feel related to climate and environmental change. One example of climate-related change is the planet’s rising sea levels that puts many people’s homes and lives at risk, particularly in coastal areas such as Hull. Shockingly, it is estimated that some areas of Hull could be permanently under water by 2050.
The garments in Poppy’s collection are environmentally friendly while referencing the specific culture, history and challenges facing Hull.
When asked why she chose to respond to Brief 7, Poppy said,
I read through the briefs, and the one I entered ‘For The Long Time’ really resonated with me and I felt aligned really well to my MA project aims, as it asked how can we help people to see the long term effects of climate change, to take better actions now. I wanted to make a personal response to climate change, that explored this issue.
Studying through a pandemic has been challenging for all students, but even more so for those studying creative subjects.
"Studying during the pandemic was challenging as I didn’t have access to the studios and workshops, and so had to make the most of what I had at home and working out of my bedroom. But it made me more resourceful and self-motivated as a student."
Poppy’s work saw her win a £500 prize from Natra care, which she says will help her with the making of her collection and future plans to exhibit in Hull.
Winning the award also means I become a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and this is an amazing opportunity to connect with other fellows, and have access to opportunities such as funding or being a mentor in the Pupil Design Awards.
If you’d like to see more of Poppy’s work, take a look at her Instagram.