Prestigious awards highlight the best in graduating talent, and attract industry interest

Fashion students from Manchester Met’s Manchester Fashion Institute have been shortlisted for awards at this year’s Graduate Fashion Week Awards 2024, which celebrate the best in young design talent.

A total of 17 students from BA (Hons) Fashion, BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology, BA (Hons) Fashion Art Direction and BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion have been shortlisted across 13 awards in categories ranging from digital fashion to photography, and innovation to sustainability.  

The Graduate Fashion Week Awards, which are held annually by Graduate Fashion Foundation during Graduate Fashion Week (June 10 – 13), reward excellence and are crucial for attracting industry interest.

Shortlisted students are invited to attend an industry event in London where they will undertake an interview and judging session with a panel of industry experts and winners will be announced during the daily award shows.

The full list of shortlisted students is:

The Accessories Award
Hadisa Ahmad Tabussam, BA (Hons) Fashion

The Childrenswear Award
Naomi Johnson, BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology
Lucy Fawcett, BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology

The Digital Fashion Award
Ari Nendran, BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology
Olivia Kwiatkowska, BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology

The Face Excellence Prize
Stacy Chan Pit Chu, BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology

The Fashion Communication Portfolio Award
Claudia Burke, BA (Hons) Fashion Art Direction

The Fashion Illustration Award
Kitty Everson, BA (Hons) Fashion

The Fashion Innovation Award
Lauren Shania Smith, BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion

The Fashion Photography Award
Maisie Dickenson, BA (Hons) Fashion Art Direction

The Fashion Portfolio Award
Charlotte Milnes, BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology

The Fashion Styling & Creative Direction Award
Ruby Savage, BA (Hons) Fashion Art Direction

The Sportswear & Leisurewear Award
Georgia Valentine, BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology
Freya Lucas, BA (Hons) Fashion

The Zandra Rhodes Fashion Textiles Award
Minna Dubois, BA (Hons) Fashion

The Hilary Alexander Sustainable Trailblazer Award
Molly Lancaster,BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology
Jess O’Reilly, BA (Hons) Fashion

Jo Jenkinson, Deputy Head of Manchester Fashion Institute, said: “We’re delighted to have so many students shortlisted for awards, which is testament to the fantastic work they have produced this year. Taking part in Graduate Fashion Week provides an incredible platform for our students to have their work assessed by industry experts, alongside the very best graduating talent, and we’re incredibly proud of everything they have achieved.”

Manchester Fashion Institute last month held catwalk shows featuring digital and physical collections  and a panel of VIP industry judges selected 30 student collections to be showcased during Graduate Fashion Week.

Manchester Fashion Institute will screen digital collections brought to life using cutting edge fashion design software CLO3D - the first digital show to be presented at Graduate Fashion Week - alongside a physical catwalk show.

This year’s award nominations follow previous success at Graduate Fashion Week which last year saw Eva Quinn and Simone James take home prizes for digital fashion, fashion marketing, and fashion communications, while in 2022, Jasmine Bourne took home the top catwalk prize.

Graduate Fashion Week showcases the work of more than 3,000 graduating students each year across 26 fashion disciplines. The event attracts thousands of guests, features 17 catwalk shows and exhibition stands, alongside a schedule of talks, masterclasses, and workshops from leading names in the fashion and retail industry.

Top industry professionals, press and recruiters from the UK and abroad use the event as an opportunity to discover talent, as well as offering graduate employment and placement opportunities.

Manchester Met is celebrating its 200 year anniversary in 2024 and this month is looking at how creative excellence has been championed across two centuries – and continues to shape the industry today.