Textile Forum Launches Design Competition with the FRA

We’re excited to announce the launch of our Cycle Chic design competition!  

This year, we’ll be collaborating with luxury fabric exhibition Textile Forum, HSBC and shirt specialist Ringhart Fabrics to hold a competition for our students. To enter, students on our Level 3 Fashion Design course will need to design and create a shirt that will encourage city workers to cycle to meetings.

“This innovative competition captures the increasing interest in cycling and also provides a great opportunity for Textile Forum and our sponsors to work with the next generation of fabric buyers and designers,” says Linda Laderman, co-founder of Textile Forum.  

In the first stage of the contest, our students will research, sketch and create a test garment in sample fabric. HSBC staff will be participating in focus groups that will help the students will their research. “It enables us to further [support] young design talent and promote British manufacturers,” says Sally Spencer, area commercial director for HSBC Kensington. 

We’ll select 15 students to pitch their concepts to a panel of industry experts. They’ll select five finalists, and Ringhart Fabrics will recreate their designs in their specialist fabric. Our Fashion Design Course Leader, Emily Ford-Halliday, says she’ll be looking for designs that “work well in the office but are practical enough to wear when cycling.” 

“We are delighted that our cycle fabric sparked off an idea that will provide a very practical project and we can’t wait to see just how creative the students can be with luxury shirts,” says Mayur Tejura of Ringhart Fabrics. 

The final five shirts will be displayed at a networking event at HSBC’s offices in Pall Mall in February 2015. From these shirts, the judges will select an overall winner whose design will be displayed at Textile Forum’s show on 4-5 March 2015 at One Marylebone, London. 

Good luck!