Blog Article
Students from across the Fashion Design course at both Birmingham Metropolitan College and Birmingham City University came together in a celebration of commonwealth design, colour and shape in a fabulous catwalk.
The vibrancy of the commonwealth countries was brought to life in range of shirts from BMET and tailored jackets from BCU BA fashion Design students.
Guests from the Birmingham Commonwealth team and BMET were impressed at the level of skill and collaborative synthesis of the outfits which were worn by models from a range of ethnicities, further enforcing diversity.
Fashion and Textiles Subject Lead, Alison Rapsey, commented:
“What started as bringing together students united in fashion turned into a celebration of skills, colour and true collaboration in commonwealth. Styling the suit jackets with shirts brought everything to life and the diversity of models really highlighted fashion across the globe. Working with BMET had been a great way to build connections across the courses both for staff and student s and we hope to build on this moving forward.”
In the exhibition supporting the fashion show, posters were created by level 5 BA Fashion Business and Promotion students to share insights to the country's key facts, trade exports, cultural events, key players and size and a giant Padlet page showcasing designers from across the commonwealth depicted just how far reaching and exciting fashion design is.
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BA Fashion student Molly Waterfield has given us some insight into her experience of being involved the BMET exhibition and everything that lead up to it.
How did researching diverse tailoring techniques influence your approach to designing and constructing your menswear piece?
Seeing how colourful and vibrant different cutters traditional attire can have really inspired me. I researched deeply into the Indian and Arabic cultures and was completely blown away. I wanted my collection to be as culturally appropriate as I could make it, so I went to an authentic Indian fabric shop to get the beautiful green and gold brocade I used.
Which Commonwealth designer or tailoring tradition inspired you the most, and how did you incorporate their influence into your work?
I was inspired greatly by Haider Ackermann and his use of intricate tailoring mixed with flabby end expressions using contrast colours and fabrics. The quiet rebellion of dressing women in masculine clothes was far ahead of his time and it just made me want to push the boundaries myself.
What challenges did you face while learning and applying new tailoring techniques, and how did you overcome them?
I struggle a lot with shaky hands so having to do a lot of hand sewing was a big challenge, I would spend an hour maybe two in front of the TV sewing every night. It was a lot of work but very satisfying and I got it finished slow and steady. Tailoring is such an intricate craftsmanship so everything must be planned and executed properly, mine had its challenges but I can say I'm proud of my work.
How did it feel to see your design come to life on the catwalk, especially in a show collaborating with BMET students and Commonwealth officials?
Honestly, it made the stress and all the hard work all worthwhile and confirmed for me that I was choosing the right path for my career. I was overwhelmed with happiness and excitement to see my creation come to life in front of an audience. Having the opportunity to work with both BMET and Commonwealth officials was truly an honour and made the whole experience more gratifying.
What key lessons or skills from this project will you carry forward into your future design work?
Probably the biggest thing I have learned is not just to stop at surface level when researching or discovering your inspiration for your collection, whether that be a designer or anything else. Looking at the history can really inspire you and can sometimes surprise you. Everything started somewhere and that is usually where you find the real magic and authenticity.