29 September 2011
Lewisham College students exhibit at FAD Junior Awards
Two Lewisham College students competed in the FAD Junior Design
Awards, exhibiting their original designs during London Fashion
Week.
Nilly Yilkat and Ashley Sasu, Level 3 Fashion students, followed
in the footsteps of David Short, a former Lewisham College student
who won last year. After being selected by their tutors, Nilly and
Ashley embarked on the Fashion Futures 2 project, a ten-week
industry course for 100 teenagers aged 16-19. They attended
workshops in London and Manchester and also visited the design
studios of River Island and Marks & Spencer.
They were one of the 25 selected to participate in FAD workshops
at the University of East London, creating a design of their choice
after visiting the Victoria & Albert Museum's ceramics, glass
and jewellery galleries for inspiration, with Ashley's jumpsuit
inspired by a brass vase."Ashley and I knew some of the techniques
we studied, but we also learned a lot of new stuff attending the
workships," said Nilly. They created prototypes out of calico
before producing their finished garment.
When the big day arrived, Nilly and Ashley were nervous seeing
their designs on the catwalk. "We were speechless. I was shaking
and Ashley was holding my hand," said Nilly. Though they didn't
win, the experience was fun as well as educational, with judges
from top fashion brands on hand to critique and give
advice. "We got some good feedback. The judges made sure to
let us know where we could improve," said Ashley.
Both women have big plans ahead of them. After completing their
Level 3 course, they've got their eyes on attending university to
study finish and make a career in the industry.