Taking inspiration from the Royal Pavilion in Brighton proved a masterstroke for a fashion student whose designs have won her a month-long placement with online giant ASOS. Final year Contour Fashion students at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) were set the challenge by ASOS of designing and creating two outfits in just 10 weeks that might be suitable for the brand.
Kitty Daler-Finch (centre) with the ASOS judges and models wearing her creations
Just before Christmas, a panel of three ASOS designers visited DMU to view presentations by the students of their creations and to judge which were the best. Kitty Daler-Finch’s pair of red lace lingerie outfits caught their eye and won the top prize of a paid, month-long, placement at the ASOS headquarters in Camden, working with its lingerie and nightwear designers.
“While working on the project I didn’t really have a chance to think about winning, it was a lot of hard work,” said the Contour Fashion student. “It’s so amazing to win. ASOS is a company that I buy garments from so to actually go there and be a part of the team, to see what happens there, will be really exciting.”
The ASOS judges with the winners, runners-up and those with commendations. ASOS is a global online fashion store targeted at young people which recorded £1.876 billion in sales in the 2016/17 year with more than 15 million active customers.
Kitty, 21, from Bournemouth, took her inspiration from the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. “I studied its architectural forms which is how I got my asymmetrical design – the bra is not symmetrical and is quite artistic,” she explained. The judges said her garments had commercial appeal, were linked to current trends, brave in their choice of colour and creatively pushed design to another level.
Katia Tastagh and Phoebe Moule were announced as runners-up; each will get mentoring from the ASOS team for their final year portfolio plus a tour of the Camden headquarters. Commendations were awarded to Maddie Weston and Sam Carney.
The ASOS team gave the students the brief in October, then visited DMU to give a mentoring day before returning to view the finished garments. Senior lecturer Rachel Toner said the involvement of the online fashion giant had really spurred the students on in taking their designs from sketchbook to completion by making it a real-world experience.
“It’s the first time ASOS have been involved with us in this way and they gave the students a really open brief which didn’t restrict them in any way,” she said. ASOS is such a happening area and so current, having their support is incredible for the students and I’d like to offer a big thank you to their team for being so supportive and enthusiastic.”
Underlines will feature the final year student’s designs in detail in the February 2018 edition.
