More wins following Graduate Fashion Week

TWO MMU students are celebrating after winning prestigious awards at this year’s Graduate Fashion Week.

Natalie Denyer was named as one of five winners of the Urban Outfitters competition, and will have her design sold in stores and online, while Amy Critchlow bagged the Drapers/Cotton USA award.

Natalie also won $1000 cash, a $250 Urban Outfitters gift card and will travel to New York for an exclusive launch party for her design.

Both designers have just completed a BA (Hons) in Fashion Design and Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Hollings faculty.

Kick start

Natalie said: “Winning the Urban Outfitters Competition was a complete shock to me, the prize of being able to sell my garment in their stores and online is something I have always wanted to do, a dream come true.

“It has the possibility to open so many doors and kick start my career as a womenswear designer after finishing my course at Manchester Metropolitan University so recently.”

Amy’s winning collection will be featured in a spread in Drapers magazine.

She said: “I was really delighted to win – it was unexpected because Drapers is an international publication and the level of competition was very high.”

Interactive

Amy’s versatile clothing is 100% cotton and fitted perfectly with the competition brief.

“My graduate collection was completely cotton-based,” she said. “I wanted to create a modular, interactive, wardrobe that increased the clothes’ longevity.”

Use of channels and cowls means the wearer can create their own volume and each item has several different functions.

Alison Welsh, head of Clothing Design and Technology at Hollings, said: “This award is a true recognition of the quality of work produced by the students on the Fashion Design and Technology programme.”

More success

There were more successes for Manchester students at Graduate Fashion Week when Amy Davidson won the Mulberry accessories design award and Lisa McConniffe was named as a runner up in the British Fashion Council/Warehouse design competition. Both students have just completed a BA (Hons) Fashion at Manchester School of Art.