Last year's winning designs by (L-R) Eloise Kramer, Harriet King and Jackie Kalembe
The University is delighted to work in partnership with Northamptonshire County Council, Silverstone, The Design Factory, Northamptonshire Enterprise and South Northamptonshire Council, who are all supporting our schools competition for 2011. See the Northamptonshire County Council Igniting Ambition festival programme 2011 (PDF 932KB)
The Division of Fashion, Footwear and Textiles at the University of Northampton has an international reputation for quality, innovation and technical expertise in garment, footwear and accessories design. Our students are regularly selected for internships with brands such as Alexander McQueen Studios, Topshop & ASOS and their talents are testament to our commitment to continued excellence in fashion design.
The University of Northampton is proud to partner in Formula Fashion, an exciting commissioning project that will usher in a new era of partnership and creativity for design and art in Northamptonshire. As part of this project, we would like to invite aspiring designers from schools and colleges to respond to a unique design brief. Judged by a panel of academic and industry experts, winning designs will be exhibited at a Gallery event in 2012 and invited to the 2012 Fashion Show as our VIP Guests. They will also be taken on a guided tour of the Gallery, which houses a national collection of shoes and regularly hosts exhibitions of our graduate collections.
formula - fashion
Are you a budding designer? Would you like input and feedback on your designs from fashion industry experts? Well, this could be your chance. Formula Fashion is the inspiration for our competition for schools, colleges and individuals to show us what they can do.
Competition brief
Northamptonshire has long been renowned for its leather heritage and many of our collections over the years have been influenced by leather craft in all its forms. More recently, the county has also become synonymous with motorsports and this brief invites you to draw on these themes as inspiration for your designs.
This provides an opportunity to celebrate Northampton's world-class leather and motorsport heritage in a creative exploration of fashion and design. You are encouraged to explore how the design, iconography and culture of motorsport might be reflected in your product or garment. You may want to consider the speed, danger and movement of motorsport and how this contrasts with or compliments the traditions of leather craft, design and manufacture and the properties of leather.
We encourage attention to detail in craft and quality as exemplified in the bespoke traditions of the Northampton shoe industry, where traditional craft techniques meet modern day technology. This is an opportunity to imaginatively approach the reinvention of an old craft using new technology or modern-day materials.
Key words/themes for the competition;
- Heritage
- Leather
- Tradition
- Team
- Silverstone
- Prestige
- Formula 1
- Moto GP
Workshops
To support and inspire you on your creative journey, designers and lecturers from the Division of Fashion, Footwear and Textiles will be holding a series of creative workshops. You will learn about state of the art techniques such as digital and laser printing that are used alongside traditional craft skills such as hand embroidery, knit, crochet or embossing. This is an exciting opportunity that will enable you to create a beautiful one-off item which embodies ingenuity, innovation and references leather and motorsport in its design and execution.
Entry requirements
For your design to be considered, submit your finished item alongside four A3 illustration pages that demonstrate your creative journey and illustrate your final concept of one of the following;
- Boot
- Garment [completed size 12 mens or womens]
- Bag
- Cushion
- Table mat
- Accessory
Dates
Final date for submission is Friday 21 October 2011.
Winners will be notified by Friday 4 November 2011.
Categories
The two entry categories for the 2011 competition will be;
- School students, Years 9 and above
- Colleges of Further Education (National Diploma and Foundation courses)
Prizes will be awarded to the winner and runner up in each category.
First prize
- VIP ticket for the 2012 Fashion Show matinee performance
- Your garment/product displayed at the Gallery
- A trophy and a certificate of achievement to add to your personal portfolio
- Bag of Fashion goodies
Second prize
- VIP ticket for the 2012 Fashion Show matinee performance
- Your garment/product displayed at the Gallery
- A trophy and certificate of achievement to add to your personal portfolio