Students from years 9 and 10 visited a fashion experience all thanks to the British Style Collective. It was the first time the event visited the city, and they did not disappoint. It was a citywide style take-over, attended by industry experts, bloggers and the best brands in the business. They began their day in the Creative hub, hosted by the Baltic Quarter at a raw catwalk and skill of fashion event. It was inspired by graduate collections, offering our students a first-hand glimpse at the award winning collections, hosted by Prof. Caryn Franklin, students saw all aspects of the efforts that go into creating such an event.
Moving up the road to constellations where the group attended the ‘live fashion illustration garden’. An expert talked them through sketching looking at style of clothes and body image, this led us to the ‘recycled imagination room’, looking into the future of fashion. Students looked at some exciting sustainable design pieces using everyday products. One student said ‘It’s crazy how they come up with the designs, I think the Starbucks dress is my favourite!’
Next stop was Fashion Tech. We looked into the future of fashion, and how it has changed the landscape of the industry, looking at 3D printing and smart materials in every day designs. We even saw a pair of shoes that were manufactured on the 3D printer!
The final part of the day was watching all the workshops being put together, from sketching to production. They girls attended the Alcatel Fashion show in the Echo Arena. It was an explosive performance of fashion, music and dance in an intense 45 minute production. Finally, we walked to the convention centre for a spot of shopping and of course, looking at the independent businesses and new styles.
Miss Walker and Miss Smethurst had a lovely day with girls, and are looking forward to seeing their future work and how they use this day as great inspiration!