Cool heads and threads in crisis
A group of Leeds fashion students found new creative energy when they decided to stay together during lockdown to create their final collections, writes Stephanie Smith. Pictures by Simon Hulme.
Charli Senior’s collection is called Women of the Future.
She explores themes of sustainability and innovation in her efforts to reject fast fashion and seasonal trends. She works entirely with plant fibres, focusing on the issues of water pollution, experimenting with bioplastic to create compostable buttons and exploring the use of bacterial pigment dyeing. Slow fashion is the key design principle throughout, combined with her interest in Japanese design and the exploration of unconventional femininity.
Instagram: charlisenior_/ bedrooms doubled as workrooms and studios. They shared equipment borrowed from the university.
“Once we got over the initial hurdle of accepting what was happening, we decided to embrace the new situation and really go for it,” said final year BA (Hons) Fashion student Beth Midgley.
Charli Senior said there had been some surprising benefits, such as having the time to learn new skills. “I’ve learnt to crochet. And, we have been able to refine design ideas and think more deeply about the details in our designs without the pressure of making as many garments as we would have in the university.”
BA Hons Fashion course leader Nicola Knight said: “We are extremely proud of how our students have adapted to complete their studies in these unprecedented times. Fashion industry employers recognise the importance of resourcefulness and innovation and the unexpected challenges met by the class of 2020 will be of great benefit to their future careers.
“The fashion industry has also been incredibly generous in its support of this year’s graduating students. We partnered with the Graduate Fashion Foundation and the British Fashion Council Colleges Council to secure student opportunities, such as online industry portfolio days, press opportunities and access to paid graduate and residency schemes with major brands.”
The designs of some of the housemates feature here alongside those of other graduating fashion students in a special fashion shoot by Simon Hulme staged exclusively for the Yorkshire Post Magazine at St George’s Fields, Leeds.
Find the graduate student work in the Leeds Arts University Show 2020, https://www.leeds-art.ac.uk/2020show/. A selection of graduate portfolios can also be seen at https:// www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk/ colleges_council/3711/LeedsArt-University
We have been able to refine design ideas and think more deeply about the details in our designs.