In June, our 21 Fashion Futures finalists took part in an intensive Summer School at the University of East London. With only 5 days to produce their final garments for London Fashion Week, the pressure was on.
The week had its highs and lows, with days filled with excitement, stress and a good few learning curves! The challenge was tough, but with plenty of help on hand from FAD volunteers and each other, the finalists perfected their pattern-cutting skills and learnt to sew on industrial machines. They painted, beaded, quilted, laced, fringed and embroidered until their garments were complete, ready to be showcased at Fashion Scout on Monday 19th September.
We caught up with finalist Aanisah Suhail about her Fashion Futures experience so far.
Why did you apply for Fashion Futures?
“I applied for Fashion Futures because I would like a career in fashion. I don’t do textiles at college so I wanted to try out something new and get some experience. I chose humanities at A-Level because I thought that would get me on the right career path, but it’s not what I love doing.”
Tell us about your design and how it was inspired by the brief.
“The brief was Fusion so I was inspired by nature and Indian clothing to make a jumpsuit. A lot of Indian’s wear these two piece outfits so I fused them together to suit London’s style. The Indian culture is quite similar to my own, so I was able to draw on my own experiences and knowledge.”
How has your week been at our Summer School at UEL?
“My week hasn’t been too stressful because there’s a lot of help here.”
What has Fashion Futures taught you so far?
“Fashion Futures has taught me to open my eyes because I would have never put these two materials together, but I was encouraged to by Hannah and Joanne. I didn’t even know what this fabric was before they suggested it. It’s definitely made me interested in fashion, I’m going to do a foundation year to get more experience and then I want to go to university.”
What’s next for you?
“Exposure and knowledge are the biggest problems for young people, knowing what works and what doesn’t. I was originally going to design a black outfit but then I learnt that this might not have the best impact on the catwalk. I wouldn’t have known to consider things like that before taking part in Fashion Futures.”
Fashion Futures would not be possible without our sponsors at Natwest and George at Asda.
