Student tote bag designs go to public vote at Drum

Visitors to Drum Castle are being asked to vote for their favourite tote bag designs, which have been inspired by the historic building and created by Fashion and Textile Design students at Gray’s School of Art.

The live project has seen 36 first year students each produce their own unique design, with the cotton shopping bags now on display at the castle. Visitors to the popular Aberdeenshire attraction are being asked to vote for their favourite design, with the most popular then potentially being produced and sold in the castle shop.

As part of the project the students visited Drum Castle to gain insight into the attraction, which is the oldest intact National Trust for Scotland (NTS) property, and enable them to capture the spirit of the castle in their designs.

They were also required to produce sketchbooks and research analysis, showing the development of their ideas, as well as a presentation board visualising the theme of their design inspiration.

Property manager of Drum Castle, Dr Alison Burke, said she was very excited to be working with the students.

She said: “I was delighted when I saw the designs that the students had produced and I’m so excited to see what visitors to the castle think of the bags.

“The students have all approached the brief in a really individual way and it is amazing to see the range of work that is on display.”

Lecturer Elaine Gowans said: “Live projects are always a brilliant way to introduce students to working with clients and responding to a specific brief.

“The students have really enjoyed working on this project and it is great to see their work now being exhibited in the building which has inspired it.”

She added: “We’re very much looking forward to hearing feedback from the public on the designs.”

Drum is currently home to an outstanding collection of contemporary art on loan from the city's Aberdeen Art Gallery while the gallery undergoes a major refurbishment.

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