Share

Gray's design talent leads the nominations in Scottish Fashion Awards

A group of students at Robert Gordon University's Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, are celebrating their nominations for a prestigious Scottish Fashion Award.

The four BA (Hons) Fashion Design students comprise half of all nominees in the running for the Scottish Graduate of the Year Award, open to all of the country's fashion students.

Christina McIntosh (22) from Aberdeen, Sian Parker (21) from Stonehaven, Sarah Struthers (21) from Biggar in South Lanarkshire, and Carolyn Edmondson (23) from Kirkcaldy, are all in the final-year of the course and will attend the glittering Scottish Fashion Awards ceremony together in Glasgow on 15 June.

Prior to their nominations, the students submitted three designs from their collections, currently being designed and created for their end-of-year Degree Show which this year will be unveiled at a high-profile fashion show in the city's Academy Shopping Centre next month.

The budding designers had to provide images and sketches of their designs, as well as a summary of their design philosophy.

Christina (22) from Craigiebuckler, submitted designs from her classic 1940s- inspired sustainable fashion collection, which focuses on the waste associated with the industry.

She explains: "Using fine cashmere pre-consumer fabric waste, I have created a range of vintage-style clothing, demonstrating that waste fabric can be manipulated to create beautiful, timeless garments."

Sian (21) from Stonehaven, has based her final project on a rebranding of famed Italian fashion house, Valentino. Her series of all-white garments features angular, geometric dresses made from a selection of heavier winter fabrics including faux suede and duchesse satin.

Commenting on the nominations, she said: "I'm thrilled to be nominated and also really pleased for my classmates. We are all very excited to be attending the Awards ceremony together which gives us a great opportunity to meet key fashion industry figures."

Sarah (21), who recently won the Scottish final of the Society of Dyers and Colourists design competition, has created a highly decorative collection comprising a full-skirted dress, wrap coat and trousers with intricate embroidery and beading, whilst her fellow nominee Carolyn (23), has designed a collection using non-traditional clothing materials such as plaster and faux- bone, provided by her sponsors 'Roberts Real Faux Bone', and features a jersey coat with fur collar and a dress with heavy glitter detailing.

A firm fixture on the international fashion calendar, the Scottish Fashion Awards celebrates and showcases the very best of home-grown Scottish talent. VIP guests will join MTV Presenter Laura Whitmore and an international fashion panel including leading journalist, Hilary Alexander, who recently visited Gray's.

Kim Eason, Head of Fashion and Textiles at the School, adds: "I'm absolutely delighted with the nominations which reflects the quality of work being produced by students on our Fashion Design course. All four girls are very deserving and talented designers who I believe stand a great chance of winning, and will have a great time at the Awards mixing with the crème de la crème of Scottish fashion."

The fourth-year Fashion Design class will unveil their Degree Show collections at two grand fashion shows on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 June at The Academy Shopping Centre, Little Belmont Street, Aberdeen.

210 views