Sponsored by
Enjoy on video: Yorkshire's Style Awards
IN the fashion world, there is London, Paris, Milan, New York – and now Yorkshire. Watch the highlights of the first Yorkshire Fashion Week, right here.
The first Yorkshire Fashion Week has been hailed a stunning success following a gala evening that played host to internationally renowned figures from the industry.
Christopher Bailey, creative director of Burberry, provided the event with a huge credibility boost, and a dash of global glamour, when he arrived at the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield hot off the plane from Milan especially to see the show, which featured collections from the cream of the county's young designers, aided by Yorkshire manufacturers.
"I think it's going to snowball and I hope become hugely successful, " said Halifax-born Mr Bailey, 38, who was recently awarded an MBE and has been described as one of the most influential designers in the world, turning Burberry into an international aspirational brand while maintaining its British heritage.
He pointed out that, with its manufacturing base, much of the fashion industry actually radiates from Yorkshire, supplying fabrics and manufacturing quality admired throughout the world.
"Yorkshire people tend not to want to brag, " he said.
"We have a tendency to be quite quiet and modest about the things that we produce and do.
"At Burberry, Castleford is where we manufacture all our classic trenchcoats and it's only there that we can get the right quality and the right workmanship."
Yorkshire Fashion Week had captured people's imagination, said Rosie Winterton, Minister for Yorkshire and Humber, who attended the gala evening alongside Kali Mountford, MP for Colne Valley, and Barry Sheerman, MP for Huddersfield.
Ms Winterton pointed out that fashion and textiles were hugely important to the Yorkshire economy, generating more than 4bn each year and employing around 30,000 people in the region.
"London Fashion Week typically generates orders in the region of 100m each year, " she said. "It's a bit ambitious maybe to expect that kind of money in our first year, but we should continue to work in partnership to realise the commercial potential of Yorkshire Fashion Week."
The gala fashion show featured collections from young designers especially selected from each of the region's participating colleges and universities, alongside established Yorkshire designers Dawn Stretton, James Steward and Kevan Jon, and grand dame of British fashion Betty Jackson.
There was a spontaneous burst of applause for Asian Style Award winners Bombay Stores of Bradford, which showed a collection of exquisite evening gowns, while legendary jackpot pools winner Viv Nicholson also took to the catwalk with models wearing some of the fabulous designer clothes she bought on her "spend, spend, spend" spree.
Bill Macbeth of the Textile Centre for Excellence in Huddersfield, which created and presented Yorkshire Fashion Week, said turnout for the gala event was "absolutely fabulous".
"A couple of months ago, we weren't too sure that this was going to happen, but we have just demonstrated that we have a tremendous partnership with industry, the universities and colleges, a lot of political support and funding agencies.
"We could have sold out twice over and we are absolutely thrilled so far.
"For a long time we have failed in demonstrating to the UK and globally that, in this part of the world, we do make the best quality woollen cloth in the world. We need to do more to demonstrate the link between cutting edge fashion and manufacturing industry."
Mr Macbeth predicted that next year's Yorkshire Fashion Week was going to be "massive".
"We have got an enormous amount of interest for next year already.
"I think the big challenge is going to be everyone fighting to see where they want the event to take place in the region."
Style brought them awards
The gala evening featured the first Yorkshire Style Awards, won by the following:
Best Young Designer – Leeds College of Art graduate Lulu Murray
Skills Hero Award – Claire Wheeler, design assistant at Bower Roebuck & Co
Best Commercial Collection – Jessica Dring, graduate of Huddersfield University
Most Innovative Design – Madeleine Moxon, graduate of Leeds University
Best Yorkshire Collection – The Second Year Foundation degree students, Kirklees College.Best Young Designer – Leeds College of Art graduate Lulu Murray
Skills Hero Award – Claire Wheeler, design assistant at Bower Roebuck & Co
Best Commercial Collection – Jessica Dring, graduate of Huddersfield University
Most Innovative Design – Madeleine Moxon, graduate of Leeds University
Best Yorkshire Collection – The Second Year Foundation degree students, Kirklees College.
Supported by Yorkshire Forward,Welcome to Yorkshire, Skillfast-UK and Kirklees Council, Yorkshire Fashion Week featured shows by Leeds College of Art and Design, Bradford School of Art and Design, Doncaster College, Harrogate College, Kirklees College, and Leeds, Huddersfield and York St John universities.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Leeds lose Ward to Palace: Is there anyone they can afford now?
- Sheffield Wednesday leaving it late to hijack Leeds United over Ward
- As Snodgrass dithers over Leeds, Warnock throws a lifeline
- Ball is in Leeds United’s court over contract - Snodgrass
- Police turning blind eye to Asian voter fraud, says MP
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
