Celebration of FAD FF1 2007 - Exhibition at LCC (17-21 Sept 2007)

It’s a tall order: five days to teach 50 students the A-Z of fashion design. But that’s the aim of Fashion Futures 1, which this year offered six workshops in London and Salford. For the first time since the creation of FF1, this year saw a celebration of the programme with an exhibition at the London College of Communication. The opening night held on the 17th September brought in teachers, students and parents for a private view of the pupils’ design work and creations.

The theme for this year’s brief was ‘Tropical Monsoon’ and students were asked to design and make a garment that could be partnered with a customised T-Shirt to create an inspired outfit based on this theme. The colours, fabrics and patterns found in Indian culture led the way for students to get really imaginative and the richness and vibrancy of their prints, embellishments and embroidery was truly dazzling. The students were also shown how to construct a record bag, which they then decorated to complement their outfits.

The evening was colourful and vibrant, and a special viewing of a short film that documented the FF2 workshops was shown. Speeches were made by Joanne Matthews, FAD Project Manager, and John Hall, of Aim Higher. John Hall praised the benefits that Fashion Awareness Direct had created for these young people.

So, what did they think of FF1? FAD detained a few first-time fashion models to find out… "I loved each and every minute", said Bana, 15 (The Skinners’ Company School for Girls).

"So cool!" says Anil, 15 (Clapton Girls’ School).

"I’d never made a full outfit before. This was my first chance to do so." But FF1 isn’t just a one-off experience. Lennox Barton, Head of Art at Skinners’ School says FF1’s benefits are lasting:

"What they get for the classroom from FF1 is confidence and enjoyment. It enables them to look at art and design in a much more positive way."

Read more about the FAD's FF1 2007 projects.