Graduate Fashion Foundation caught up with the 16 talented graduates who featured in the ‘Dream Big’ video by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s GREAT Britain Campaign.
The GREAT Britain Campaign, the UK Government’s major international marketing campaign, unveiled a new initiative celebrating the enormous wealth of fashion talent nurtured by UK universities. Shot in the iconic Locarno Suite in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the video features 16 of the country’s top young designers, stylists, and hair and make-up artists.
Make-Up Team Prep
Lois Ford is currently in her final year at Solent University, studying BA Make-Up & Hair Design. She says, “‘I was a hair and make-up artist for this fun and inventive shoot. It was great to work with such lovely, talented people and use our strengths to create the #dreambig video. After having an idea of what each designer would like their model to look like, we got to work. Tousled waves. Clean, dewy skin. Brushed up brows. Soft glossy lips and orange, sparkly eyes were the perfect combination for the designs for the video’
All design graduates selected to feature within the video are from Best of Graduate Fashion Week 2019 catwalk show, featuring the top 28 collections from 4-day event. Designer Sally Mankee from UCA Rochester said, “It was lovely being in such a beautiful building and among such talented creatives! I had such a fun day and naturally, Hector the Dog on Wheels enjoyed his acting debut?! “
Sally Mankee ready with Hector The Dog On Wheels
Freya Paxton originates from Maidstone and is currently in her final year at Solent University, studying BA Make-Up & Hair Design. She said, “Working as a makeup artist for the Dream Big film was such an amazing experience as it allowed me to work alongside a range of such talented creatives. When creating the makeup looks for the video we collectively decided to be artistic and used glitter and sparkle to make each look individually pop on camera. Overall the experience of staring in the film was something new for me but I really enjoyed having fun as a team to create such a successful outcome! Thank you Graduate Fashion Week!”
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Allison Orr from Northern Ireland is a 2019 Fashion Design graduate from the University of Central Lancashire., Allison’s collection is created entirely from plastic bags, using knotting and melting techniques to create feminine garments. “ I’m so proud to be chosen to represent my country of Northern Ireland and the up and coming talents of Great Britain in the #DreamBig video for the Foreign Commonwealth office. It was truly an amazing experience as a designer to be given the opportunity to step out from behind the camera and to have some fun with and even wear my collection! This project presented a great networking opportunity to meet and spend the day with other graduates from different disciplinaries within the fashion bubble and show off my collection”
Mariah Esa from Leicester is a 2019 Fashion Design Graduate from De Montfort University. Mariah’s collection, created from waste clothing labels, won the People’s Choice Award at GFW 2019 and has gone on to showcase at LFW. “So proud to be featured in this campaign. Was a fun-filled day filming with other talented design graduates, makeup artists, and stylist? So honoured to be selected by Graduate fashion, to be one of the design graduates featured in the Great Britain dream big campaign. Thank you Graduate Fashion Week for this amazing opportunity and for shining the light on us young British designers.”
Aoife Malone from Belfast, Northern Ireland is a Fashion Communication graduate from Heriot-Watt University and won the Styling & Creative Direction Award at GFW 2019 for her styling project exploring action topics in Northern Ireland. “I was so delighted to be asked to be a part of this exciting campaign. I traveled from Edinburgh to our gorgeous location and loved every second of the shooting process! I was playing the role of the stylist on set and I loved seeing all the incredible garments that my fellow graduates had designed.
Kiera O’Brien is currently in her final year at Solent University, studying BA Make-Up & Hair Design. "Working for such an amazing work experience was incredibly inspiring! I enjoyed every minute of it and made me look forward to future job opportunities! Being a hair and makeup artist for the Great Britain Campaign is something I never thought would even be offered! I'm so excited for my future"
Other designers who took part include:
Phoebe from Norwich University of the Arts
Phoebe Constable from Chichester is a 2019 Fashion Design graduate from Norwich University of the Arts. Her menswear collection experimented with creating innovative bio plastics that look to redefine fast fashion. Phoebe is aiming to make sustainable fashion relevant, colourful and creative.
Rosie Baird from Fife, Scotland is a 2019 Fashion Design graduate from Edinburgh College of Art and scooped the Catwalk To Store Award at GFW 2019 with her Scottish-heritage-inspired tartan collection.
Sophie Robinson from London is a 2019 Fashion Design graduate from University of the Creative Arts Epsom. Her collection features colourful hand crocheted dresses and hand painted outwear.
Savannah Smith from London is a 2019 Fashion Design graduate from Nottingham Trent University. Her menswear tailoring collection features graphic prints and sharp suiting.
Chun- Yin Chan from School of Fashion at Manchester Metropolitan University
Chun-yin Chan from Hong Kong is a 2019 Fashion Design graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University. Chun-Yin created his textured menswear collection using layers of transfer prints, screen-printing and machine embroidery. The collection heavily features denim, with an urban silhouette.
Jiaru Zhang from Beijing, China is a 2019 Fashion Design graduate from Sheffield Hallam University. Jiaru took inspiration from her grandmother by combining Chinese elements according to her understanding of British culture.
Evangaline Hutchinson originates from Country Durham and is currently in her final year at Solent University, studying BA Make-Up & Hair Design.
Oonagh Bottaico originates from Stanstead Mountfitchet and is currently in her final year at Solent University, studying BA Make-Up & Hair Design.
Katie Weldon originates from Northampton and is currently in her final year at Solent University, studying BA Make-Up & Hair Design.
The legendary Dame Zandra Rhodes, Lifetime Patron of GFF and Hilary Alexander OBE, Graduate Fashion Foundations President, both play cameo roles in the piece which encourages brands to look to the UK for their next generation of hires.
The video has been promoted across the government’s international network in over 140 countries and will be deployed throughout 2020 at major fashion events and trade conferences.
Hilary Alexander OBE, Graduate Fashion Foundation President, commented:
“Graduate Fashion Foundation is extremely proud to be working with the GREAT Britain Campaign on such a creative opportunity, showcasing 16 exceptional young talents. Each year Graduate Fashion Week sees over 3500 exciting and innovative fashion creatives take over the Truman Brewery and the GFF, as the charity behind the event, continually looks to highlight their talent throughout the year. This video campaign is a great opportunity for six of our final-year hair and make-up students and ten select fashion and styling graduates to work with industry and showcase their talent to the world. These young creatives are at the forefront of a generation who will revolutionise the way we design, manufacture and wear our garments. Whether it is addressing the world’s plastic crisis or exploring new scientific techniques, our universities and students are setting the standard for a sustainable future.”
Jiaru from Sheffield Hallam University