Some interesting fashion related stuff is establishing itself in Millennium Point right now with Matthew Boulton College‘s Feed Studio hosting the finals of the PIN competition. From the press release:
Matthew Boulton College celebrated the launch of their two brand new specialist design studios, ‘FEED Studio’ and ‘Fashion Lab’ situated at Millennium Point with a showcase of talent, and the opportunity for two new young designers to win £20k between them. The launch took place within the Millennium Point Hub on Thursday 21st February.
‘PIN’ is a groundbreaking collaboration between Matthew Boulton College and Midland Fashion Showcase. The aim is to profile the fashion talent of the West Midlands via a fashion competition. The final of the ‘PIN’ competition culminated on the night with 12 finalists going head-to-head on the runway, presenting their Spring/Summer 2008 collections. A panel of six judges from within the fashion industry chose the two winners from the two categories, Jenny Hardcastle from Solihull, Birmingham won the New Designer award and Shamrez Marawat from Moseley, Birmingham won the Young Business award. Each winner received £10k to develop their business.
Jenny Hardcastle believes she is more than a designer and a dressmaker…she is a sculptor of fabric. Jenny presented her collection Timeless at the event. Her feminine silhouettes evoke thoughts of Grecian romance and 1930’s elegance, which combine to create shapes that will last forever and become what can only be described as….Timeless. Jenny was overwhelmed stating ‘This means everything to me – it’s the start of a new life and a new career’. For more information about the collection visit www.timelessbyjenny.co.uk
Shamrez Marawat presented Balian, a menswear brand that utilises avant-garde sportswear tailoring techniques with subtle military influences. His collection was inspired by the philosophy of the ‘tension of opposites’ which in this case is war vs. nature and is displayed by using military cuts and muted colours. Shamrez was thrilled to have won, ‘I feel this whole ‘PIN’ journey has been incredible and a real catalyst to drive my business. I’m honoured to be a part of the creativity in the Midlands.’