Helen Storey and Tony Ryan with Herself, the first catalytic dress. Image credit Gavin Duthie

Catalytic Clothing, a pioneering project which seeks to transform our clothing into potent air purifying catalysts, has been nominated in the sustainability category of the Condé Nast Innovation and Design Awards 2012. This ground breaking project is a collaboration between LCF’s Professor Helen Storey MBE and Professor Tony Ryan of University of Sheffield and has the potential to tackle air pollution, one of the world’s biggest environmental problems. This is the second time Helen and Tony’s work has been nominated for these prestigious awards: Wonderland, which asked its audience to re-consider waste, plastics and packaging, was nominated in 2010.

The shortlist for the awards was compiled by a panel of experts including, Sir Nicholas Serota Director of Tate, Rowan Moore architecture critic of the Observer, Brent Hoberman co-founder of Lastminute.com and now chairman of Made.com and Sarah Miller editor of Condé Nast Traveller.

To clinch the award Helen and Tony need your help – the award winner is decided entirely through a public vote – so please lend us your support and vote now!

• Vote for Catalytic Clothing
• Read more on Catalytic Clothing
• Read about Catalytic Clothing in Edinburgh

Tony Ryan and Helen Storey at the 'Field of Kilts' in Edinburgh. Image:© Nik Daughtry, DED

Last week Catalytic Clothing arrived in Scotland for the Edinburgh International Science Festival.

Wearing a Vivienne Westwood gown inbued with Catalytic Clothing technology London College of Fashion Visiting Professor Helen Storey MBE posed alongside project partner Professor Tony Ryan OBE of University of Sheffield to launch the week’s activities.

Helen and Tony took part in an ‘In Conversation’ at the National Museum of Scotland with Professor John Shepherd CBE FRS about the motivation behind their collaboration and how Catalytic Clothing could bring about the reduction of air pollution in our towns and cities.

Tony Ryan and Helen Storey in conversation with Professor John Shepherd at the National Museum of Scotland. Image:© Nik Daughtry, DED

To demonstrate this compelling idea, which has global significance for the air we breathe and the reduction of harmful pollutants, a small field of catalysed bespoke denim kilts, produced in Edinburgh by 21st Century Kilts, were ‘planted’ alongside denim jeans in Saint Andrew’s Square.

• The next stop for Catalytic Clothing is Dubai. To follow the progress please follow Helen on twitter or visit the Catalytic Clothing website
• Vote for Catalytic Clothing in the Condé Nast Innovation and Design Awards 2012

A second year student from our BA (Hons) Cordwainers Fashion Accessories: Product Design and Development
has won the Design-A-Bag competition 2012.

Klara Hulten won first place in the student category for her Tetris bag, at a ceremony in Hong Kong on 28th March.

The Design-A-Bag Competition is organised by Fashion Access trade fair and is open to designers and design students all over the world. It uniquely takes place via an online platform, allowing participants to submit their design illustrations from anywhere.

• BA (Hons) Cordwainers Fashion Accessories: Product Design and Development course information
• Read more about the competition

coeur s | s 2012 - contra mundum

coeur is the new and exciting menswear lifestyle label launching spring/summer 2012. The brainchild of London College of Fashion graduate, Peter Jeun Ho Tsang, this unique brand combines luxurious silk jacquard fabrics woven in England, with bold colours, soft tailoring, and quirky design details to generate a playfully preppy collection. Setting it apart from other menswear labels, coeur is giving the modern day dandy a nod in the right direction.

The playfully preppy brand is launching its online store at www.coeur.uk.com – the men’s slim cut clothing and neckwear range with 100% brand exclusive silk woven in England can now be purchased online. The store comes just in time for those needing to update their spring / summer wardrobe with a bold, colourful, and ever so luxurious range.

coeur promises to launch new products each week as well as give us exciting editorial updates jam packed with features such as style tips, where to take a jaunt in London, and for those culture buffs, fashion films filled with visual feasts of dandyness. It’s already bookmarked in our favourites!

• Peter Jeun Ho Tsang on Showtime
• MA Digital Fashion

Esmerelda Turquoise A/W11

LCF alumna Cleo Barbour has been announced as a finalist  for the Best Footwear Designer of the Year in the Drapers Footwear and Accessories awards 2012.

Other LCF alumni who have been shortlisted are Nicholas Kirkwood, Kat Maconie, Charlotte Olympia and Chi ‘Cherry’ Yuen (who only graduated from MA Fashion Footwear in 2012).

The awards will be announced on 3rd May – Good Luck to all the LCF nominees!

• Footwear courses at LCF
• Accessories courses at LCF

The BA (Hons) Fashion Sportswear course is gearing up for London 2012. We spoke to 2 students who are getting involved.

Work from Annette Mazinyi's sketch book

Annette Mazinyi was inspired to fuse her passion for winter sports with an interest in pioneering technology for her final year collection. Solar Epiphany is snowboard-wear designed with solar panels integrated into the fabric. The solar panels are then used to charge mobile devices used in everyday life such as smart phones and tablets.

Annette said:

I am really excited about the Olympics happening in London. It’s bringing a new dimension to what I do as a designer. When you actually get into the depth of what’s involved in designing sportswear, it’s really eye-opening. London 2012 is educating people more about sport and hopefully, being a designer, there will be more demand for jobs for people like me when I graduate. The Olympics has been a really big advantage for garnering interest in projects like Solar Epiphany.

• Read the full interview with Annette Mazinyi

Alasdair's designs for the LiveView project

Last year Alasdair Leighton Crawford was chosen to represent Sony Ericsson and the LiveView Design Project at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and to showcase his motion responsive cycle jacket. As well as winning plaudits for his design skills, he also has a history of rowing for Great Britain – a perfect platform to launch a career in sportswear.

For me Sportswear Design is my Olympic Games, and through success has the potential to make a positive and continued impact on people’s lives.

From 2005 to 2008 Alasdair was a professional athlete and competed at World Cups, World and European Championships. Always interested in creating and designing, Alasdair secured work placements on Savile Row. When a back injury meant that he had to retire from competitive sport, he realised that sportswear was what he was most passionate about.

• Read the full interview with Alasdair Leighton Crawford
• Read more on the UAL 2012 blog
• BA (Hons) Fashion Sportswear course information

Work from Jayden Tang

In February, the World Photography Organisation announced the shortlist for the 2012 Sony World Photography Awards. Billed as the global photographic event of the year, the Sony World Photography Awards celebrate the very best in photography from around the world, from the next generation of emerging photographers through to the established masters of the art.

2010 MA Fashion Photography graduate Jayden Tang has been announced as a finalist in the fashion category. The winners will be announced on 26th April. Following on from the winners announcement, an exhibition, showcasing the work of all the finalists, will take place at Somerset House until 20 May 2012.

• View Jayden Tang’s Showtime profile
• MA Fashion Photography course information
• Read more about the Sony World Photography Awards
• Read more about the exhibition at Somerset House

Zoe (left) and Sara (right) hard at work at TheMuse.tv launch party. Images courtesy of Themuse.tv

Last month, London College of Fashion students lent their creative magic to help launch new fashion website TheMuse.tv, a new fashion community for young women with blogs, videos competitions and more.

LCF students were tasked with helping to set the creative fashion atmosphere, customising T-shirts for the industry, press and VIP guests in attendance at stations with fabrics, paints, sewing machines and more all provided for them.

Sara Arnesén, currently studying BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology Womenswear, Zoe Sterling BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology Surface Textiles and Scarlett Giannakou, BA (Hons) Fashion Illustration also showcased their work in glass cabinets at the venue, along with their inspirational sketchbooks.

Scarlett (seated) with guests queuing up to get unique T-shirts. Image courtesy of Themuse.tv

Zoe, currently in her second year, specialising in embroidery said:

It was very exciting to work where there was such a lively atmosphere which was focused around new talent and fashion. Creating something that guests could take away as a memento from the evening, and be able to put in their own wardrobe, was an honour as I haven’t even graduated yet!

Scarlett added:

I wanted to be involved because it looked like an exciting up and coming website with great editors such as the famous blogger Simon Glazin from The Very Simon .G and for fashionistas of all trends. The night was amazing and I was swamped with requests for the t-shirts and illustrations – as well as from  a few famous faces. I enjoyed the fast paced environment and thought it was a great way to network.

Sara, also in her second year of study also added:

I really enjoyed the experience, not only was it a fun event to attend but also a great opportunity to network, meet new people and showcase my work.

LCF student work on display at the launch party. Image courtesy of Themuse.tv

• Have a look at TheMuse.tv launch film to see our students in action

Image from TOMS Eyewear Catalogue

Students on the BA (Hons) Creative Direction for Fashion course are being given the opportunity to design a visually inspiring TOMS window display on one of London’s busiest shopping streets. Two students will be selected by a panel of LCF experts and representatives from TOMS. The winners will each take a two-week slot across both shop front window spaces during the final 4-weeks of the Pop-up shop.

This project celebrates the TOMS pop-up shop, but is also part of their One for One campaign for their new eyewear range. With every pair purchased, TOMS will help give sight to a person in need. As more everyday choices have the power to impact the lives of those around the world, the TOMS movement will continue to grow and evolve.

• Learn more on the TOMS blog
• BA (Hons) Creative Direction for Fashion
• TOMS Eyewear

Left to right; Andrew Hughes form LCF, Nick Robertson from ASOS and George Davies, founder of Next.

Four MA Strategic Fashion Marketing students were announced as the winners of the ‘Brand Britain’ collaboration between London College of Fashion and Retail Week. The winning students, Dorcas Kissi, Shivani Patel, Carolina Lopez Suarez and Lucy Elliott presented concepts that linked iconic British brand Temperley, to the London 2012 Olympics and ‘Brand Britain’. (more…)