Claire Barker Phillips, Senior Lecturer on the prestigious BA(Hons) Fashion Design degree at this top arts university joined Year 10 and 12 artists and designers for a hands-on masterclass to learn about the principles of geometric pattern cutting.
Inspired by the cutting edge work of renowned designer Issey Miyake, the girls worked in teams to design and develop a highly sculptural garments from paper which were then scaled up into real outfits.
Following this session, pupils then headed to the university itself to showcase their creations at a special runway show as well as taking a closer look at outfits created by their Fashion Design and Sportswear Design graduates.
There was also the chance to explore the graduate work from the Textile Design, Fashion Marketing and Fashion Photography degree courses in the studios of the Fashion and Textiles Institute.
Year 10 Charlotte said “It was very inspiring to see other people’s work at that level. Some of the pieces were pretty crazy – an outfit with a lampshade for a hat really stood out to me.”
Everyone agreed that the day had offered a fantastic insight into this multi-million pound industry and headed home bursting with ideas for their next designer collections.
