Serife Niyazi’s first introduction to FAD was in 2012, when she was put forward for Fashion Futures by her A-level textiles tutor because she was falling behind the rest of
Young people from London have collaborated on this multi faceted project to celebrate Black Icons of the British Jazz Age, inspiring people from all backgrounds with a creative exploration of Black British heritage.
This unique project enabled young people to conduct hands-on archive research with original source material, as well as speaking to some of the UK’s most respected experts, including Stephen Bourne and Gary Crosby OBE, to inform their investigations. The young people then designed and printed textiles, inspired by East African Kangas, to celebrate their chosen Black Icons. These cloths were then styled and modelled by the young people themselves, providing the images that illustrate the inspiring life stories brought to life in the magazine.
Francesca Valorsa’s relationship with FAD goes back to 2007, when she took part in Fashion Futures. Since then she has studied Fashion Design at Ravensbourne University, specialising in womenswear, worked