Alfa Romeo names young designer winners

BA fashion students Luke Archer and George Jenkins have been named winners of the Alfa Romeo Young Designer of the Year Award 2013. The award was presented following a judging ceremony in St Andrews, Scotland, before their

five-piece collection joined other finalists on the catwalk at the 21st annual St Andrews Charity Fashion Show, the UK’s largest student-run fashion show.

The design duo, inspired by the ‘Fragments of the Imagination’ brief and the car company’s heritage, presented a collection that featured dresses with accessorises in the form of hats and clutches, showcasing striking red and black colouring, and a complex use of materials including leather, neoprene and metal, and technological touches such as LED lighting.

The postgraduate pair impressed a judging panel comprising of representatives from Alfa Romeo UK, the St Andrews Fashion Show as well as members of the fashion press for “capturing the spirit of Alfa Romeo with creative flair and amazing technical execution”.

Accepting their award, the duo said: “This competition has been an incredible experience. A lot of hard work went into our collection but all the finalist designs were amazing, so when we were named the winners we could hardly believe it.”

As well as winning the Young Designer of the Year accolade the pair also received 1,000 pounds in prize money and an internship at fashion label PPQ.