London College of Fashion, the University of Westminster, and the Royal College of Art were among the winners of the Graduate Preview Day Awards, hosted by the British Fashion Council (BFC), announced last Friday.
The annual Graduate Preview Day showcased the portfolios of graduating students’ of 25 colleges from around the UK. Designers, retailers and industry experts got the chance to see portfolio’s first hand and get a taste of the upcoming talent that will be entering the industry.
The work was reviewed by a judging panel of industry experts headed by Chair of the Colleges Council Anne Tyrrell, and included Adam Kelly, Selfridges; Hannah White, Fashion Monitor; Jacqui Ma, WGSN and Marios Schwab.
Anne Tyrrell, Chair of the Colleges Council said, “The calibre of this year's portfolios has been excellent and demonstrates the breadth of talent of both the students and the colleges. The contacts the colleges gain from the day are extremely beneficial to their graduates and we’ve seen an incredible attendance here today, with representatives from Abercrombie & Fitch, Burberry, Alfred Dunhill, Harrods, Paul Costelloe, Matches, Max Mara and Topshop.”
The Fashion Monitor Colleges Portfolio Award was won by the Royal College of Art who receives subscriptions for their best students to Fashion Monitor, a provider of industry contacts, news and events.
The WGSN Digital Presentation Award recognises the increasing relevance of integrating fashion and technology and was won by London College of Fashion.
The winner of the BFC Fashion Illustration Award in association with Fashion Monitor, University of Westminster, will also win two one year subscriptions which will allow the graduating students access to key industry contacts, something which is invaluable for breaking into the industry.
Organized by the BFC, Council Graduate Preview Day is organised to foster relationships between graduates and industry. The annual event brings together industry insiders from media, recruitment, retail, design, manufacturing, sales, marketing and PR to preview the work of graduating students who will be entering the job market later in the year.
Source: British Fashion Council
