Graduate Design Programme names winners

Topshop and Topman in partnership with the British Fashion Council have named a duo of students as winners of the Graduate Design Programme, a new initiative which supports graduate talent. The winners of the inaugural award are Sally

Hewett from Northumbria University, who will undertake a 12 month paid internship at Topshop, while Rebecca Howarth from Manchester School of Art will take up a placement at Topman.

Topshop

and Topman support graduate talent

Topshop and Topman have a number of initiatives with the BFC including supporting NewGen and NewGen Men, this is the latest project from the retailer to support emerging fashion talent and was devised in a joint venture with the BFC Colleges Council, which acts as an interface between education and industry.

The award called on students to submit a minimum of one mood board that demonstrated a strong commercial awareness and understand of the Topshop and Topman customer, and from this mood board, each applicant had to design a 15-piece capsule collection that fully encapsulates their theme, showing key silhouettes, fabrics and colour choices.

Hewett and Howarth were then selected as the winners after a selection committee comprising of representatives from the retailers invited applicants to a judging meeting to talk through their design project.

Mary Homer, managing director of Topshop, said: “The Graduate Design Programme in partnership with the British Fashion Council is a natural extension of our work with design talent in the UK; it allows us to support emerging and graduate designers.

“The winner will have the opportunity to develop as a designer and gain valuable first-hand experience of a business through their time at Topshop."

Gordon Richardson, design director of Topman added: "Topman has been supporting emerging talent for over 10 years and is excited to be helping a new generation of talented designers start their careers through this initiative."

Image: L-R, Susan Hewett (Topman) Rebecca Howarth, Topman winner, Sally Hewett, Topshop winner, and Lizzie Dawson, (Topshop).