UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 26 SEPTEMBER 2023
Two Fashion Design students travelled to New York's Fashion Week citing an “unbelievable” and “truly rewarding” experience, seeing their work hit the runway as part of a signature collection.
Emily Brookes and Abbie Walton, Fashion Design students at Birmingham City University (BCU), travelled to the Big Apple having spent months prior working on a collaborative sustainable dystopian-style streetwear collection with global label Turtlehorn.
“Collaborating with Turtlehorn has taught me about all the hard work that goes into producing a successful collection and being part of a major Fashion Week,” said Emily.
“It was so rewarding to be trusted to design and create pieces for Turtlehorn, but designing and making the garments is only part of the process. Selecting the line-up, fitting the models, and photographing the work are all key elements of the show we took part in while in New York.”
Once the models were dressed and final adjustments made, both Emily and Abbie took their seats beside the runaway, rubbing shoulders with invited VIP’s and fellow designers.
“It was truly rewarding to see all our hard work finally shown on the runway,” added Abbie.
“The entire collaboration has taught me the importance of attention to detail, especially when the outcome is presented at a major fashion week under someone else's label!”
New York, along with Milan, Paris and the recent London Fashion Week, are among the world's most coveted catwalks. Both students described feeling “genuine pressure” as they worked backstage to prepare their designs.
Over the summer, Emily and Abbie remained in close contact with Maria, meeting once a week to share ideas before using the sewing and pattern-cutting facilities on campus at BCU to bring their ideas to life.
Elizabeth Burton, Fashion Design Lecturer and project manager for the BCU x Turtlehorn collaboration, supported the students throughout their journey to Fashion Week and accompanied them to New York.
Since returning from New York, the Turtlehorn collection featuring the BCU student designs has been included in Elle Magazine USA and will be highlighted in British Vogue this December.