Fashion students make old socks glamorous
25/06/09
Country pursuits and the TV programme No.1 Ladies Detective Agency were among the inspirations for a spectacular fashion show staged by design students at Waltham Forest College.
Models strutted the catwalk in outfits ranging from teenage street chic jumpsuits to glamorous evening gowns in satin and silk.
First year fashion students even created a range of shift dresses made out of old socks in the Make Do and Mend category, which had recycled materials as its theme.
They also put together a collection inspired by the characters from the TV series about a lady detective in Botswana. The designs included multi-coloured leather waistcoats over blouses, skirts and shorts in African style prints.
The inspirations for the show spread from the African savannah to the English countryside. Students scoured Country Life magazine for ideas for their designs for country outfits.
Elegant tweed knickerbockers and double breasted waistcoats were designed with the country squire and the Lady of the Manor in mind.
Benita Odogwu-Atkinson, the college’s curriculum manager for fashion, textiles and media, explained: “Each year we look at different cultures for our inspiration and this year I wanted to focus on the British culture.
“We aimed to produce the Burberry look, with a collection of outfits in tweed and woollen fabrics.”
She says it is important that students have recycling in mind when making garments. “The whole idea behind Make Do and Mend is to get them thinking about new ways to produce clothes.”
The hour long show featured group collections put together by whole classes of students on different courses, plus students showcasing their own talents with their individual collections.
One collection featured classic black evening gowns inspired by Ancient Greece. Another showed linen frocks displaying an inventive use of frills.
Second year BTEC HND students showed their slash and spread skills to create glamorous cappuccino coloured pieces. First year HND students showed innovative cutting and construction skills to produce a classic twist on grey and white.
Models from the I Feel Experience agency, which was set up to develop emerging talent, modelled some of the garments, while some designs were modelled by students on other courses at the College, friends or the young designers themselves.
The college runs courses in fashion design from an introductory level to higher national diploma level, for school leavers and adults on a full time and a part time basis.
The show was attended by Waltham Forest’s mayor Councillor Anna Mbachu who said: “The creativity, the passion and talent shown by these students is amazing. They must have put a lot of work into creating those outfits.”
Luqman Ali said he spent 30 hours making a knickerbockers suit for the Country Pursuits collection and 12 hours making his sock dress.
“I have always had a passion for clothes,” the 17-year-old said. “When I was younger I used to watch my mother sew and it stemmed from that.”
Luqman is a first year student taking a two year BTEC ional Diploma in Fashion and Clothing. He plans to go to university to study design and has ambitions to become a designer and model, one day having his own fashion brand.
Single mum Rosemary Offe-Amoyaw, 28, is on a one year part time diploma course at the college. She said: “I am really proud of what I have learned in one year.
“I have always customised my clothes. I would love to work from home making dresses and children’s clothing for private clients.”
It was the elegant dresses worn by film stars of the 1950s that inspired Sarah Yombo’s passion for fashion. She said: “I was just seven years old and I saw these amazing garments on television. Afterwards I would sit down and draw them.
“All I have ever wanted to do since then is to go to university, get my degree, and become a designer.”
An industry style environment has been replicated at the college’s main campus in Forest Road, Walthamstow, to give students a realistic experience of a sample room. Students learn the whole process of making garments from design concept to the finished product.
Around 90 per cent of the BTEC National Diploma students progress to university or onto degree courses at art colleges, with the remaining 10 per cent finding work in the industry.
For information about courses available at Waltham Forest College please phone 020 8501 8501, email info@waltham.ac.uk or visit www.waltham.ac.uk