Burberry connections gives Yorkshire fashion students 'unparalleled insight'

Sam Hudson-Miles, Fashion course director at Leeds Beckett University, says the tours that Burberry allows her students to take around the Castleford facility gives them unparalleled insight into manufacturing processes and technologies.

“Even though it’s a big production facility, the students really understand what it takes to take a sample, that perhaps they have made themselves, into a production line, and the logistics of that, and things like quality control and units per week.

Burberry’s product development area is of particular interest. “All the garment tech is in there, so the students get to see their digital systems, they get to see really creative product development that’s been done by the creative director Daniel Lee being sampled there.”

An LBU alumni was involved in developing the ReBurberry sustainability service restoring trench coats and other Burberry pieces using new design techniques. Visiting this department, where work is done on a smaller, individual scale, means that students can see these upcycling ideas and techniques first-hand.

“In terms of students or graduates who might be setting up on their own and farming stuff out to a CMT (cut, make and trim) unit, this is another major reason why we have Fashion Alliance North (a joint initiative with Liverpool John Moores University launched earlier this month to challenge London-centric fashion education), because what we want to do is bring suppliers into the mix as well.”

Kathryn Brennand, senior lecturer in Fashion Design at the University of Huddersfield, agrees that Fashion and Textiles students who study at Yorkshire’s universities and colleges can benefit hugely from centuries of manufacturing expertise and innovation.

“We are extremely fortunate to be situated in an area rich in the history of cloth production,” she says.

Her students work collaboratively with textile manufacturers and suppliers including Kamira, Bower Roebuck and Hainsworth. “Our students are able to handle luxury-level fabrics and use them to enhance their garment manufacturing skills.

“Locally renowned family-run businesses pass down specialist knowledge and production techniques through generations, while new creative and entrepreneurial start-ups contribute to the region’s textile industry.”

Ms Husdon-Miles points out that many of Leeds Beckett’s graduates go into garment technology roles in the manufacturing industry.

“They want to set up their own label. But again, they don’t have the networks or the resources to really find or test these things, so the alliance is going to bring together all those kinds of supplies of material, supplies of garment production, CMT units to the students,” she says.

Burberry senior colleagues also have one-to-one meetings with LBU students, and go through their portfolios with them, helping to identify their key skills and potential, and guide them on their journey into roles within the fashion industry.

At the University of Huddersfield, students also benefit from strong industry links, says Kathryn Brennand, working alongside designers, cloth producers and specialist finishers to explore developments within the clothing industry.

Environmental concerns are embedded in the design course. “Fashion Design students are encouraged to understand where their fabrics and trims are sourced from and how to use them in the most economical way,” she says.

“Educating consumers to invest in quality products with a reduced environmental impact will help sustain Yorkshire’s textile heritage and support future developments within the garment industry.”