Burberry supports Leeds Beckett University students to find success in the fashion industry

Burberry is supporting this year’s runway show and judging the Fashion graduate collections. The luxury brand has been encouraging the students in other ways, too, including welcoming 30 Fashion students on a visit to its Castleford factory, accompanied by LBU’s course director for Fashion, Sam Hudson-Miles.

“We could see how the trench coats were made, from start to finish,” she says, adding that they also visited the product development area. “It was really interesting for the students to see the gorgeous Heritage trench coats, but in different fabrications and iterations.”

In the personalisation department, they saw where Burberry pieces are embellished or embroidered and motifs designed by Bradford-born Burberry chief creative officer Daniel Lee are worked on. There is also a renovation department (headed by a former LBU graduate) where customers can send trench coats to be repaired and design ideas for repairing and upcycling are generated.

“The students were so inspired afterwards,” Sam says. “Having a brand like Burberry giving us these opportunities is second to none. They are getting face-to-face, first-hand industry insight from a global brand.”

Teams from Burberry have also been helping the students with their graduate portfolios, which Sam describes as their passports into the industry. “They are more important than their collections, ultimately, in terms of our graduates getting jobs.”

In March, the final year students took over part of Trinity Leeds shopping centre for a fashion shoot showcasing their work. It was overseen by Sam and Professor Matty Bovan, the internationally-acclaimed, York-based fashion designer who is also an LBU academic. The aim was to shine a spotlight on the strong creative talent thriving in Leeds and within the university, collaborating with other LBU students and creatives in the city, including award-winning hairdresser Gareth Vance, and Leeds City College, which created the make-up looks. “We street-cast models,” Sam says. “We want to represent real people and the youth of Leeds and the diversity of our Gen Z demographic.”

In preparation, there was a styling workshop with Matty Bovan and stylist Lucy Bonner. Matty says: “It’s great to see students thinking more about their muse through styling, from the early point of their research and development, and I’m excited to see this translated onto the runway.

“I’m trying to encourage students to explore clever ways of manipulating fabrics, whether that be through screen-printing, over-dyeing, fraying, embellishment, and ways in which they embed this into their process, thinking sustainably about techniques and fabric sourcing.”

This year’s graduates include Libby Austin, whose concept Cirkular Arkhive draws inspiration from the hills of the Lake District, re-purposing partially damaged tents donated from the Duke of Edinburgh programme to tackle textile waste. Christina Ford created the Shuffle collection exploring active relaxation through music and movement, while Olivia Griffith’s work was inspired by the female form and the manipulation and distortion of the figure through the male and female gaze.

Camelia Murgu created Sub:Terra, a fusion of ‘90s hip-hop and urban streetwear, capturing the raw energy and creative spirit of New York City, and hopes to launch it as a brand. Eliza Parker-Hack’s collection &Taureau& mixes old workwear with cool grunge prints, celebrating self-expression. Bethany Rothwell’s work is inspired by the Light & Space art movement and is made solely using zero waste pattern-cutting.

Find out about fashion courses at Leeds Beckett

Syd Swaine explored ‘50s fashion with a dark twist, exploring womanhood, mental health and relationships, while Edward Thornley’s collection draws inspiration from the utilitarian functionality of military attire, juxtaposed with the anarchic spirit and DIY ethos of punk culture, to make statements of defiance and individuality.

Sam says: “What I am seeing year on year is that the students think less and less about gender. They are designing for people rather than for a man or for a woman. Sustainability is a big thing as well. They are thinking quite innately about sustainable practice and they want to be sustainable. Also students are very keen to explore body size, so they want to work beyond the parameters of that traditional sample size.”

Yorkshire’s weaving and manufacturing heritage underpins the strength of the county’s fashion education. “British fashion is a world leader, without a doubt,” says Sam. “That industry of clothing and manufacturing textiles is very much alive and kicking through Burberry.”

Looking ahead to the show, Matty Bovan says: “These are some of the most personal collections we’ve seen. It's a great environment for the students to showcase their work to industry, and in a professional setting, supported by our colleagues in Filmmaking. I’m really proud of the Leeds Beckett Fashion Class of 2024, working with each student individually and seeing their progression over the years of their degree journey, and the ways in which they are bringing their personalities through into their collections.”

* Leeds School of Arts End of Year Show: Art, Design & Fashion is on Friday, June 7, from 5pm at Leeds Beckett University Theatre in the Leeds School of Arts, Portland Way, Leeds. Graduate work from Art & Design and Fashion Marketing can also be seen at the Broadcasting Place campus, Woodhouse Lane, on Friday, June 7, then June 8-9, and June 15-16, 10am-4pm. [email protected]