International Residency Award winners announced

The British Council and Graduate Fashion Week have announced that two UK graduates will produce capsule collections to show at Jakarta Fashion Week as part of the International Residency scheme.

The award, now in its third year, was developed to give outstanding graduates from UK universities a chance to take part in a residency where they will work with local designers, universities and craftspeople in a country with an emerging fashion industry.

The location of the residency changes each year, and this year winners Rosella May, a fashion knitwear and knitted textiles graduate from Nottingham Trent, and University of Creative Arts graduate Billie Jacobina will showcase their capsule collections at Indonesia’s Jakarta Fashion Week in October 2016.

From August to November, each graduate will collaborate with a local design house to learn more about how brands work with communities to create positive change and how sustainability can form a solid foundation for a fashion company.

British Council names International Residency Award winners

May, who was selected after showcasing her unisex graduate collection of six androgynous knitted denim outfits that incorporated male styles of the 1950s alongside contemporary fashion shapes, will work with designer SOE Jakarta. While, Jacobina, who impressed with her prints influenced by Moroccan patterns and architecture, will work closely with designer Lekat.

Commenting on the scheme, Indonesian fashion brand SOE Jakarta said: “SOE Jakarta is thrilled to be chosen as one of the labels for The British Council's residency program. We constantly seek fresh ideas and inspirations as part of our commitment to working with Indonesian textiles and by collaborating with a textile-focused fashion graduate from the UK, we hope to be able to learn and grow from an intercultural exchange of ideas and perspectives.”

The annual International Residency Award provides winners with all travel costs plus a grant to create a capsule collection, to be showcased at a major fashion event at the host country.

The winners will be in Indonesia working with Lekat and SOE Jakarta until November 1, and will present their collections at Jakarta Fashion Week, which takes place October 22-18.

Images: courtesy of the British Council