Following the success of previous years, Graduate Fashion Week is proud to announce its continued partnership with Tu which will see both a womenswear and menswear graduate receive a year-long scholarship within the Tu design team in Coventry. The lucky graduates will embark on a mentorship with acclaimed British designers Oliver Spencer, who joins for a second year running as menswear mentor, and Teatum Jones who join for the first time mentoring for womenswear.
Oliver Spencer
Building on Tu’s commitment to support emerging talent, the winning graduates will both complete a paid 12-month placement with the Tu design department, culminating in the launch of their own collection in 2019. The winners will be coached by the in-house teams, gaining insight into the fashion industry from buying though to design. The programme will include monthly meetings with the graduates and creative sessions to review the winner’s 2019 collections for Tu, and both designers will also invite the winners to experience a day in their design studio.
“Having taken part in 2017, I am very impressed with the way Tu is being run and how open minded they are on scholarships which I feel are greatly important in our industry,” said Oliver Spencer, Designer and 2018 Mentor.
As part of the continued partnership, Tu will be present during Graduate Fashion Week hosting a Tu hub within the sponsorship floor. This interactive space will be set-up for graduates to visit with their portfolios to obtain advice and apply for recruitment opportunities directly from the Tu team. New for this year, Tu will host a pop-up shop within Graduate Fashion Week, where the SS18 Graduate Fashion Week collections will be available to browse and buy online. This innovative space will be the first standalone concept for Tu outside of a Sainsbury’s superstore.
Tu will also be hosting three engaging talks within the GFW Talk Live! studio with key industry and team members. They include last year’s scholarship winners with their mentors Henry Holland and Oliver Spencer, Fashion PR and retail guru Mary Portas.
