Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Fashion student wins tailoring competition
The competition, masterminded by Darren Beaman, Managing Director of Savile Row Tailoring, challenged the students to create an innovative design within the pattern cutting and construction module, Tailoring Principles, where students design and construct an original piece of outerwear. The successful student was awarded a day’s work experience at Savile Row Tailoring, providing them with the opportunity to discuss their design and collect the cashmere cloth to produce their winning garment.
With over 30 years’ experience, Savile Row Tailoring offer a bespoke service, using 90 percent UK produced cloth. Keen to engage and educate students, Darren said: “Having recently moved into new premises in Leeds, I was very eager to establish a relationship with Leeds Beckett and be involved in working with young people.
“The competition, which will continue to run every year, was born from my wanting to show students the beauty of tailoring and open their eyes to our wonderful trade.
“The standard of work was quite extraordinary and my fellow judges and I found it very difficult to reach a decision. However, Anna’s design stood out for its simplicity, beauty and natural flow. I am very much a ‘back to basics’ person and Anna’s garment personified this concept.”
Anna, who has been interested in fashion design from an early age, said: “I entered the competition because bespoke tailoring interests me. I felt it would allow me to showcase my creative side and bring my designs to life. Also I had never worked with cashmere before, so it was a new experience working with cloth of such high quality.
“The day’s work experience was fantastic and I learnt a great deal about tailoring from professionals who offered me invaluable advice in helping improve my design. I learnt how to produce garments to industry standard and I feel I can take what I have learnt back to university and incorporate it into my work.”
Katie Lenton, Senior Lecturer in Art, Architecture and Design, added “This was an incredible opportunity for our second year students. To be able to design garments and have them judged by such revered tailors is very rare.
“Anna’s design was selected for its juxtaposition of tradition and innovation, principles she learnt from Visiting Lecturer Mariana Lima, who previously worked as a pattern cutter at Alexander McQueen and who challenged the students to push the boundaries within design and pattern cutting.”
Further information about our Fashion course can be found at http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/fashion.