Carl’s winning designs to appear on the catwalk

Art and design students from Telford College have been working on costume designs to appear at a family fashion show.

The level three BTEC art and design students were invited to work in partnership with the costume project team at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.

They were challenged to take inspiration from a period of fashion, and a theme from Telford, and combine the two elements to create an innovative costume for the September show, to be held at Enginuity.

They presented their design ideas to a panel of judges including staff from the costume project, and guest judge Richy Wedge who appeared on the TV show Great British Sewing Bee.

The winning design came from second year student Carl Davis, 18, a former Telford Priory School student.

His creation was heavily inspired by 18^th century iron workers and business owners’ outfits that would have been commonly seen in Ironbridge during that period.

Anna Dowdall, Telford College art tutor, said:

“Carl’s outfit starts as a higher-class gentleman in his smart long coat, top hat, and cane before transforming into the worker’s uniform of protective boots, eye wear and masks with leather apron.

“It is inventive, exciting, and sure to capture the attention of the audience, young and old alike.”

As part of his prize, Carl gets a week-long placement at Enginuity, when he will be fitted and measured for the costume which he will then help to make, and model at the show.

Three more of the Telford College students were highly commended for their entries – fellow second-year students Romaysa Zaheer, Giulia Ioan and Leona Baxter.

Romaysa is continuing into employment after her course completes, Giulia is planning a year out before studying fashion design, and Leona sets off to De Montfort University to study Contour Fashion this year.

Anna said: “This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to work with industry professionals and have the opportunity for their design to be picked out and made for them.

“It has helped our students to develop their verbal and visual communication skills, improve their time management and organisational skills, and also refine their design ideas to meet a specialist design specification.

“We are very proud of our creative and hard-working students and wish all the second-years all the best in their futures.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the costume project staff and the rest of the team at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust for asking to work with us at Telford College.”