Submission:
The award was created to capture the vision of the late renowned UK based Fashion Journalist and Honorary Lifetime President of the Graduate Fashion Foundation charity, Hilary Alexander OBE, by reflecting Hilary’s enthusiasm for fresh, sustainable and future thinking fashion. The award was created to capture and reflect the GFF’s enthusiasm for new, fresh, and future thinking fashion design talent.
The winning collection and portfolio of developmental research must provide a refreshing and innovative direction, it must address the important issue of sustainability in a forward-thinking and creative manner.
Entry Requirements:
Submission must include three or more full looks in a collection (can be menswear, womenswear or genderfluid) and a portfolio of research. The winning collection and body of work must address the following:
Sustainability, evidenced by a reduction on environmental impact
Social responsibility
Be boundary-pushing and innovative
Criteria:
Evidence of a focus on and understanding of sustainability
A clear demonstration of how the project/product’s environmental impact, and/or be beneficial to the environment, culture or community from which the materials are sourced.
Experimentation in sustainable materials, texture and surface decoration
A cohesive body of work within a portfolio that showcases the broad research base and demonstrates research that clearly displays the relationship to the individual’s ideas include designs, sketches and where appropriate technical drawings.
An outstanding collection that clearly demonstrates an exceptional response to contemporary future thinking sustainable design demands in it creativity, design, cut, craftsmanship, use of colour and innovative fabric.
An initial digital nomination submission of a film file with no more than 15 x supporting pages for shortlisting. The full body of work will be displayed for the final judging session. The nomination can be a maximum of 10mb, illustrating the final project and a supporting supporting statement to explain the nominated student’s entry from concept to realisation including images and demonstrating that it meets all criteria as detailed above.
Process:
The Hilary Alexander Sustainable Trailblazer Award will be judged in two stages. All nominated students will have to submit a supporting statement for scrutiny at the pre-event shortlisting by industry experts.
Part 1:
Monday 20th May 2024, 18:00 hours - Deadline for submission, academic staff are to nominate 2 final year students.
Selection:
An Industry expert will shortlist 12 students from the entries submitted. Thursday 30th May, 2024 - The names of the shortlisted students will be announced.
Part 2 - Judging:
Awards Judging will be onsite at GFW in central London. Shortlisted students must bring their full entry for the final judging. This can be physical work plus digital elements if required. The judging will be an opportunity to talk through the students work, ideas and answer questions from the judges.
All nominated students must attend the full judging day during GFW and ensure they attend all talks, meetings and judging sessions as well as the end of day Awards Presentation and celebratory networking event. Winners will receive promotion across the GFF networks.