'PERFECT' DRESS FOR COLLEGE COMPETITION WINNER!
| Published: 31st July 2008 22:13 |
A competition to seek out talented young fashion designers has led to the production of a 'perfect' prom dress for Lichfield student Charlotte Cook.
Charlotte showing off her award winning dress. Charlotte has just completed a Diploma in Foundation Studies in Art and Design at Lichfield School of Art and entered the competition in the hope of gaining fashion industry experience. She said her prize, the chance to work alongside a local fashion designer in producing her own prom-style dress, has been 'worth every second.'
The competition was the brainchild of independent fashion designer Rachel Wright and fashion store Cure Clothing of Tudor Row, Lichfield. Store owner Anna Riley, 31, said the contest was run with the intention of helping local designers realise their potential and take their first steps towards a career in fashion design.
"I work with local designers and their clothes are absolutely fantastic, but they constantly tell me how hard it is for young designers to get their work into production and promoted by local shops. I thought that by setting up this competition, I could encourage young people to come forward and give them a taste of working within the industry and dealing with independent outlets," she said.
Nineteen years old Charlotte, who lives in Four Oaks, said she had really enjoyed the whole experience. "I just let my imagination run wild and designed a dress that I thought would be perfect for a prom. Seeing it made up has been a fantastic experience and worth every second. I would also like to thank Cure Clothing and Rachel Wright who worked so hard to make the dress up."
Rachel, 36, is one of Cure Clothing's regularly featured designers, and the owner of REW Clothing, a Tamworth-based design studio, where she produces a range of designs and undertakes individual commissions. She provided the technical expertise behind the competition, helping to choose the winning design from those submitted by college students, and then producing the garment in collaboration with the winning entrant.
"I love to pass on my knowledge and experience because design is something I am passionate about," she said. "Helping Charlotte turn her dress idea into reality was challenging and exciting, and involved us both working hard to refine elements of the design to suit her very slim frame, and to make it a viable proposition in production terms."
Anna added, "Individual designs are very much a part of our operation here and we have had such a good response to the clothes we feature over the last three years, that we will soon be moving to larger premises in Bore Street. I think that definitely shows that people want something new and different in clothes design."
Alison Churchill, Head of Lichfield School of Art, part of Tamworth & Lichfield College commented, "It's always excellent to work with local companies to give students a real insight into the world of work, and this competition has been a great success on that front. Cure Clothing is very receptive to the work of local designers and their clothes are an inspiration. We are delighted that our students have been given this opportunity and we are currently looking at ways of introducing more fashion into our courses here at the college."
Charlotte's dress is a long blue evening gown with a floral detail at the neckline and a strappy back section. It will be featured in the window of Cure Clothing within the next few weeks. For more information on designs produced by Rachel Wright call 07815 858352
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