Young Designers Begin A Fashion Renaissance

23 February 2010

130 teenagers from Greater Manchester and London including 28 lucky students from Salford City College, Eccles and Pendleton Centres, discovered a treasure trove of inspiration in the V&A’s newly opened Medieval and Renaissance galleries last month.

The research day marked the launch of Fashion Futures 2 – an intensive 10 week course which gives 16 -18 year olds a realistic insight into the working world of fashion.The course funded by Aimhigher, is running for its second year and hopefully will become a permanent opportunity for young people in Salford to link directly with the industry.

Students were introduced to the new galleries by Curator, Matthew Storey and Designer in Residence, Julie Sissons.

The budding designers sketched works of art from the museum’s collections – from luminous stained glass and gleaming enamels to intricate carved ivories and majestic architectural pieces – as well as investigating the famous fashion exhibits.

Their challenge will be to use this research, just as they would need to do if working for a fashion house, to create original, contemporary designs giving the wearer a sense of luxury and individuality. Students will attend Salford University Fashion department in March where their work will be developed and judged. Finalists then return to London for an exciting awards evening in the summer.


To see more photos and for further information about Fashion Futures 2 visit www.fad.org.uk