New design talent at Graduate Fashion Week: part 5
By FashionUnited
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Fashion
Jennifer Allen, is from the University of Creative Arts, Rochester, where she has focused on fashion management and Menswear design. The main inspiration behind her graduate collection is Prince Harry, the young British Royal,
‘who plays a balancing act between tradition and the modern developed world.’ Allen references the risk taking ‘Dirty Harry,’ where the paradoxes of good/evil, rebellion/restriction and pure/soiled meet.
Ambitions and goals: ‘Being a fashion management student, I am interested in the development and management of the product as well as the designing stage.’
Allen says, ‘This year has been the most challenging and testing year of my life to date, but also looking back the most rewarding! Being the final year of my degree, I wanted to do my absolute best at everything so I had no regrets. In many ways I do feel I have done that, but of course there is always room for change and improvement as your ideas grow with your collection over the year. One of the most stressful moments was when I decided to overhaul my whole collection, half way through the year, in terms of aesthetic and overall silhouette – some of my peers thought I was crazy as I spent a week redesigning, re-making patterns and toiles and adapting some elements – but I am really pleased I did it to avoid a personal disappointment. I feel I could even have pushed myself and developed it a little further – new finishes, new silhouettes, new fabrics – but you live and learn! There have been some really exciting moments this year; being put forward for a Ted Baker print competition, a Burberry Design competition, and having my work photographed by John Wright for GFW. It’s only now as GFW is nearly upon us, that I have stopped and looked back at really what an incredible year it’s been and the great opportunities I have been offered.’