Wednesday 31 May 2017

Creative talent fostered by British Fashion Council Education Programme 2016/17

BRITISH FASHION COUNCIL 2016/2017 EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Attached image L-R: Rebecca Hoult (Burberry Competition Runner Up), Grace Grier (Burberry Competition Runner Up), Bashir Aswat (Salford University), Tim O’Sullivan (UCA Rochester), Sarah Mower MBE, Nandita Shah (Burberry Competition Winner), Elinor Renfrew (Kingston University), Steven Dell (Kingston University), Andrew Groves (University of Westminster), Richard Gray (University of Westminster)





The BFC Education Foundation congratulates their 2017 BA scholars who are graduating this week: Ian RichardsonJacob WeirHarriet CrowtherKitty GarrattLloyd James HusbandMatthew Needham and Polly Thomas as well as MA recipient Gabriella Sardena.

see their work below......

Sarah Mower MBE, Co-President of the BFC’s Education pillar commented: ‘The BFC Education Foundation scholars, for BA and MA are selected on the basis of their outstanding talent, from Universities across the country. Their work this year is the inspiring proof of the creativity, individuality and technical skills which put British fashion educators at the top of every international measure of excellence.

In times when art education is under attack and student debt rising, the determination of the BFC to ensure that talent is supported has been redoubled. I am delighted that the annual proceeds of The Fashion Awards are being devoted to funding the exceptional young people whose originality and new ways of thinking are needed to strengthen the future of the industry.

In addition, we are more than ever grateful to the individuals and companies who have responded to our call-out for donations for this cause. I'm sure they will be as excited as we are to see what brilliant people their money has enabled’

The British Fashion Council Education Foundation promotes excellence in British fashion education and supports the future talent pipeline for the fashion industry. In the last year alone the BFC’s Education Foundation has awarded over £100,000 across 12 BA and MA scholarships.




Gabriella Sardena's work 




Harriet Crowther's work




Ian Richardson's work 




Jacob Kane Weir's work




Lloyd James Husband's work

                 


Matthew Needham's work



Polly Thomas's work






The BFC’s education initiatives also support younger people looking to gain fashion industry knowledge and insight. National Fashion & Business Saturday Clubs are aimed at giving young people aged 14-16 the opportunity to learn about fashion at their local college or university, for free.  Additionally, the BFC works with a group of fashion employers and the University of Arts London to develop a Fashion Studio Apprenticeship. All of this support for young talent benefits not only the students but also strengthens the BFC’s aim to make Britain the best place to start, develop and grow creative, innovative businesses.

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

BA & MA SCHOLARS: The British Fashion Council (BFC) is pleased to announce the second annual recipients of its scholarship to support undergraduate students. The BFC has been awarding students MA scholarships since 1998; through introducing an award to support BA students in 2016, the BFC sought to secure its legacy of support for talented students at every stage, safeguarding the opportunity to further education regardless of financial situation.

The funding, provided by the BFC Education Foundation, financially supports students with the ability and potential to make an exceptional contribution to the fashion industry.

Of those graduating this year, Gabriella specialises in Womenswear at Central Saint Martins; Harriet Specialises in Menswear at Sheffield Hallam University; Ian specialises in Womenswear at the University of Westminster; Jacob specialises in Menswear at the Manchester School of Art; Kitty specialises in Menswear Knitwear at Central Saint Martins; Lloyd specialises in Menswear at the University of Westminster; Matthew specialises in Menswear Womenswear at Central Saint Martins and Polly specialises in Womenswear at the Edinburgh College of Art.

Second year student Jessica Sheridon Grech is also receiving support for her BA Womenswear degree at Arts University Bournemouth.

CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA SCHOLARSHIP: The second annual Charlotte Olympia Scholarship was awarded to Sara McMullan, studying BA Footwear: Product Design and Innovation at Cordwainers, London College of Fashion. This scholarship is the first dedicated footwear scholarship to be offered by such an established luxury brand.

COLLEGES COUNCIL GRADUATE PREVIEW DAY

The BFC Colleges Council hosts an annual Graduate Preview Day for its Colleges Council members, an opportunity for fashion industry professionals to view the talent emerging from the UK’s top fashion colleges and meet the course leaders.

The BFC Colleges Council partners with a number of institutions and established brands on competitions to help support fashion students. Winners of the Burberry Fashion Designcompetition, the Fashion Monitor Outstanding Portfolio Award, the Topshop & Topman Fashion Design competition and WGSN Illustration Award were announced at this year’s Graduate Preview Day.

BURBERRY FASHION DESIGN COMPETITION
Winner: Nandita Shah, Kingston University - Nandita has been awarded £2,000 and a 3 month internship at Burberry
Runners-Up: Grace Grier, Ravensbourne and Rebecca Hoult, Manchester Metropolitan University - Grace and Rebecca have been awarded 3 month internships at Burberry.

FASHION MONITOR OUTSTANDING PORTFOLIO AWARD
Winner: University of Westminster - Westminster has been awarded two 1 year subscriptions to Fashion and Beauty Monitor

TOPSHOP AND TOPMAN FASHION DESIGN COMPETITION
Topshop Winner: Alexandra Danko, University of Salford - Alexandra has been awarded a 1 year internship at Topshop.
Topman Winner: Lucy Ward, UCA Rochester - Lucy has been awarded a 1 year internship at Topman.

WGSN ILLUSTRATION AWARD
Winner: University of Westminster - Westminster has been awarded two 1 year subscriptions to WGSN

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED FASHION DESIGN COMPETITITONS

STRADIVARIUS FASHION DESIGN COMPETITION
Winner: Terence Cartwright-Foster, Ravensbourne – Terence was awarded a fulltime design position at Stradivarius and a £500 cash prize.
Runner-Up: Alex Ritchie, Manchester Metropolitan University received a £500 cash prize, and has subsequently been offered a fulltime position.

COACH FASHION DESIGN COMPETITION
Winner: Lloyd James Husband, University of Westminster – Lloyd was awarded a £3,000 cash prize to help fund the creation of his graduate collection.

posted by Schelay McCarter for fashiontent on twitter and facebook - Art direction for fashion CSM onsite and online short courses in kings cross London
http://www.arts.ac.uk/csm/courses/short-courses/journalism-pr-media-and-publishing/art-direction-for-fashion-online/




Tuesday 23 May 2017

'Inside China' Fashion & Lifestyle Report May 2017 - Hong Kong

Two Hong Kong girls looking across to Hong Kong island from Kowloon.
Hong Kong as we know it today was born when China's Qing dynasty government was defeated in the First Opium War in 1842, when it ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain in the Treaty of Nanking signed on 29 August 1842.
Hong Kong was handed back to China by the British in 1997, ten years on lets take a look.

From its earliest days as a British colony, Hong Kong served as a centre of international trade. Under British rule Hong Kong used to be a boyant Asia link Financial Centre. It became clear to me on this recent visit to Hong Kong and China that Beijing has taken over that focus. 
We may well forget that the background history of Europe and China before Communism and the impact of the 2nd world war was based on drugs and trade! The Opium Wars were two wars in the mid-19th century involving Anglo-Chinese disputes over British trade in China and China's sovereignty. The disputes included the First Opium War (1839–1842) and the Second Opium War (1856–1860). The wars and events between them weakened the Qing dynasty and forced China to trade with the rest of the world.
We are now seeing a full circle return to collaberative trade partnership negociations with China's head  Xi Jinping hosting the Belt and Road forum last week in Beijing.

This initiative puts China at the forefront of anti protectionism in international trade. This will benefit China hugely with a 1.1371 Billion strong population, providing plentiful cheap, skilled labour to produce hard and soft goods and a canny 'can do' ambition. 

Beijing locals enjoy it when Chinese president Xi Jinping entertains international politial dignitories, the factories are closed for a few days, the municiple roads are spruced up to present the best impression, blue skies and low pollution creates a beautiful and seductive Beijing, full of promise and potential, not dissimilar to Tokyo. see my next post for a more in depth look at Beijing Style and fashion.

Last Monday Xi urged major multilateral institutions to join his new Belt and Road Initiative, stressing the importance of rejecting protectionism in seeking global economic growth. Addressing other world leaders at a summit on the initiative in Beijing, Xi said it was necessary to coordinate policies with the development goals of institutions including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), ASEAN, African Union and the European Union. Xi pledged $124 billion on Sunday for his new Silk Road which aims to bolster China's global leadership ambitions by expanding links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond, as U.S. President Donald Trump promotes "America First"."We need to improve policy coordination and reject beggar-thy-neighbor practices," Xi said on Monday."This is an important lesson that can be drawn from the global financial crisis and is still very relevant to the development of the world economy today," he said."We need to seek 
win-win results through greater openness and cooperation, avoid fragmentation, refrain from setting inhibitive thresholds for cooperation or pursuing exclusive arrangements and reject protectionism."



The women are modern and western in style, free to use social media in Hong Kong.
Sports trainers have over taken shoes in sales this year for the first time internationally
I predicted this in 2012 on fashiontent - see this link
http://schelay.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=new+york+trainers

An upwardly mobile Hong Kong Chinese family enjoying afternoon tea in the Penisular Hotel,
a British colonial hotel that has adapted with the times.


The buildings reflect the ambition of Hong Kong as part of China in the twenty first century.

Properous Chinese in Hong Kong enjoying the shopping and lifestyle.
Chinese millenials unlike their parents are fully engaged in consumerism, luxury western goods
reflect their success and status much like the 1980s in the West. 

Map of Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Girls out shopping on Nathan Road styled in a mix of western clothes with cute traditional Chinese shoes
     
Xi Jinping refered also to the old Silk Route concept in his trade vision, this was an ancient network of trade routes that were for centuries central to cultural interaction originally through regions of Eurasia connecting the East and West and stretching from the Korean peninsula and Japan to the Mediterranean Sea.
This modern title derives its name from the lucrative trade in silk (and horses) carried out along its length, beginning during the Han dynasty (207 BCE – 220 CE). The Han dynasty expanded Central Asian sections of the trade routes around 114 BCE, largely through missions and explorations of the Chinese imperial envoy, Zhang Qian. The Chinese took great interest in the safety of their trade products and extended the Great Wall of China to ensure the protection of the trade route. Perhaps this is where Donald Trump got his wall building idea from? a direct swipe at China? China is enjoying it's economic success much like the Americans did in the 1950s boom times.


Copy and photography © Schelay McCarter










Wednesday 3 May 2017

Story Telling - Burberry - the use of Body language in a narrative for stills and film
















Please examine the shot sequence here from the top to last shot to see how the referenced simulated relationship between Edie Redmaine and Cara Delevigne develops. It is no accident ! this is a highly correographed shoot using coupling body language to make us believe it is real. Note the mirroring, spooning, confiding, flirting and commitment attachment messages.


Burberry 2012/13
Photographer Mario Testino
Art Director - Christopher Bailey

Copy / teaching material - Schelay McCarter ©