NEWS
Two shoe designers of tomorrow feature at this year’s Graduate Fashion Week
Two budding footwear designers from the University of Northampton showcased their designs at this year’s Graduate Fashion Week.
Tiffany Ruff and Heather Jenkinson, who are both studying on the BA
(Hons) Footwear and Accessories course, were chosen to take part in the University’s catwalk show after presenting their collections to a panel of judges that included shoe designer, Kirsty Ronnie, who is a recent MA graduate from the University of Northampton.
Religious architecture and lavish 80s club wear were some of the
influences behind Tiffany’s shoe designs. The 22-year-old from Chesham, Buckinghamshire grew up travelling and visiting churches and cathedrals and this led her to use rich jewelled tones and ornate detail when creating her footwear. She also drew inspiration from the Club Kids, a group of New York club personalities in the late 1980s, who were well known for their elaborate and outrageous clothing and this is what she wanted to re-create in her designs.
Tiffany said: “I wanted my designs to be wild and exciting; with a heavy
influence on the architecture and interiors I grew up loving. I found leather to be my favourite material to work with as it’s a very niche luxury product which is exciting to work with.
“I chose the University of Northampton as it is the place to study for
footwear and leather. I have enjoyed my time here and have had the opportunity to travel to industry fairs in far flung places, such as Tokyo, Hong Kong Milan, New York and Holland. This has helped me decide that I definitely would like to work abroad after I graduate.”
The concern of plastic waste and the recent introduction of the carrier bag
charge led to 22-year-old Heather using an environmental theme to create her final collection.
The budding designer from Whitby in North Yorkshire decided to research
the reasons behind the bag charge and how plastic waste affects the environment and wildlife, particularly in the ocean, to see how she could use this in her work.
www.northampton.ac.uk Heather has been working closely with renowned Northampton-based
shoe manufacturer, Church & Co for her footwear designs and luxury leather supplier, Tusting on her bag collection.
She said: “I decided to use mixed materials in my designs but I have mainly
worked with leather and it’s durable, easy to work with and is a by-product so it fits my theme perfectly. I have enjoyed working with Church & Co and it’s been amazing to see first-hand how a high quality shoe is made from start to finish. The experience at Tusting has helped me get a better understanding of the manufacturing process of making bags on a larger scale.”
Dr Julie King, Head of Fashion at the University of Northampton said:
"Our students have become widely recognised for their talents and skills n craftsmanship, design and manufacture - and most importantly for being ahead of the design curve. The University of Northampton has long established links with industry, which develops our students' industry ready employability skills. We were recently included in the top 100 fashion schools in the world by CEO World magazine so this speaks volumes about our fashion offering and is testament to our excellent staff and world class facilities.”
Rachel Garwood, Director of the Institute for Creative Leather
Technologies, said: "The University of Northampton is the global epicentre of leather education and offers students a full working tannery. This close link with the leather industry offers fashion students a unique opportunity to develop their knowledge and expertise when working with leather. Our students have a complete hide to high street experience of the leather making process, understanding the importance of sustainable and ethical sourcing of the raw materials, through to high end leather working for the fashion and footwear industries."
4 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
• JUNE/JULY 2016
www.footweartoday.co.uk
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