The first round of the WorldSkills UK ‘Made to Measure’ fashion competition takes place this coming weekend - 5th and 6th July at Hackney Community College, London. The participants have been selected from colleges and universities across the UK.

The students submitted their designs that they will be drafting and making up at the live competition and the standard of entries has been very high.

The competition will be judged by 4 industry experts; Nigel Cabourn - North East based designer who is one of the ‘designers at Debenhams’; Imtaz Khaliq - London based bespoke tailor; Joyce Thornton - WGSN ‘Generation Now’ Journalist and Gavin Douglas -
a regular London Fashion Week designer.

The strongest students will win a place in the UK competition final being held at the prestigious Northumbria University School of Design in early September.

University of Huddersfield Fashion Students take part. 

Hilary Wells & Victoria Griffiths with their dress design for French Connection

Last week two teams went head to head to compete for a chance to join the UK Squad going to compete at EuroSkills 2008 in Rotterdam in the Netherlands in September. The team selected to compete in the Fashion Product Development & Production Competition were Hilary Wells and Victoria Griffiths from Somerset College.

Their brief was to design a dress for a UK / international high street retailer. They completed all the design and research work in advance then had to make the patterns from scratch (using basic pattern blocks in size 12) and finally cut and construct the garment (toile) to a production ready standard in calico fabric.

The two teams - one from Somerset College and the other from the University of Huddersfield were selected to receive further training after gaining first and second places at the national heat held at Cardonald College, Glasgow in January 2008. They attended an intensive two day workshop at the Huddersfield Textile Centre of Excellence in early April before taking part in the final which was held at Hinckley College in Leicestershire from the 15th - 17th April.

Katie Ann Eardley & Katy Holgreaves with their dress design for Whistles

The team was chosen following a nationwide hunt for fresh new design talent held by Skillfast-UK, the Sector Skills Council for fashion and textiles and UK Skills.

The response was extraordinary, with colleges, universities and businesses from across the UK all nominating their talented teams to compete in Rotterdam next year.

Skillfast-UK was looking for a team with the ability and flair to represent the UK at the highest level and showcase tomorrow’s talent. Linda Florence, Chief Executive of Skillfast-UK, said: “The level of interest in this competition has been remarkable.

“It has highlighted that we have a wealth of talented young, up and coming designers here in the UK - I am only pleased that I am not going to be on the judging panel!”

Linda continues: “It’s great to see fashion production and development making its world debut at EuroSkills 2008 in Rotterdam next year.

“The UK is home to some of the world’s most creative design talent, but it is very important that these creative skills are matched by top-notch technical ability, something that EuroSkills is very keen to promote.”

Skillfast-UK and UK Skills, a not-for-profit organisation that champions skills and learning for work, worked together to organise the UK entry into the competition.

EuroSkills 2008 will see hundreds of young professionals, students and graduates from 22 European countries, compete and demonstrate their skills in almost 30 typically European trades.

This new innovative event will showcase European skills on an international platform and will consist of skills competitions, demonstrations, interactive events and conferences.

WorldSkills is the highlight of the international skills calendar, the biennial event bringing together member countries from across the world to pit the skills of their young people against the best the world has to offer. An exciting and engaging spectacle, the competition is open to visitors who are able to get a close up view of competitors as they battle it out against the clock and those difficulties that are commonly experienced in the workplace. In effect it provides a platform and focal point for nations in dealing with their skills issues.

More specifically the WorldSkills competition has the following direct benefits For the UK:

• Move from competence to excellence
  There is a growing sense that we need to raise our standards and aspirations. WorldSkills has the potential to take us beyond the demonstration of competence in vocational education and to create a passion for excellence.
• Reduce skills gaps
  The excitement and achievements of WorldSkills competitors has the potential to capture the attention of the nation, to provide the motivation young people need to consider vocational education and to set their aims higher. Plus it will help to transform our national attitudes towards skills, to tackle skills gaps and shortages, and to raise our low productivity levels.
• Minimise skills shortages
  Many young people are opting to go into what they consider to be more stimulating professions, WorldSkills has the potential to once again get them excited about vocational training and to entice them back into traditional skills - areas where we have skills shortages.
• Re-engage the disaffected
  Exposure to the achievements of WorldSkills competitors will we hope provide the inspiration this group and their parents need to make them believe that they are important and have what it takes to be successful, to stay on in learning and acquire vocational skills - to take the opportunity to develop their full potential.

Now that social networks have become a regular part of the fabric of modern life, segmentation is well under way, with communities popping up all over focused on specific groups and interests. Case in point: OURthreads.com, a social marketplace designed specifically for users interested in fashion, clothing and accessories. Launched earlier this month, OURthreads facilitates the buying, selling and trading of clothes. Registered users begin by setting up a virtual “closet,” which serves as their home page. From there, they can proceed to display items for sale or look through other users’ closets for something to buy or trade. Users can link to their favourite closets, and they can also advertise on the site to bring more visitors to their own

Creating a closet, buying, trading and listing items for sale are all free; sellers pay OURthreads a fee of 3.5 percent of the total selling price for anything they sell. Ads, meanwhile, are available in variably priced packages. Cofounder Pete Yonkman explains: “When we designed the concept we tried to create a community that would allow people to easily create value for the items they have, whether they designed them or they just don’t want to wear them any more.”

Though it’s just barely out of the starting gates, the Indiana-based site already has a few hundred registered users—an eclectic mix of “boutiques, stay-at-home moms, a retired teacher who knits clothes, some college students and a few independent designers,” Yonkman says. Buying and selling on OURthreads is currently limited to US residents, but the company is open to partnership and ideas from those who want to make the site better. OURthreads is also gearing up to launch a new program next month, Yonkman says—stay tuned for more!

Website: www.ourthreads.com
Contact: feedback@ourthreads.com

Friday saw the final of the ‘Can-U-Cut-It’ competition that I helped judge back in June. The finalist’s garments from colleges across the UK, were modelled on the main stage at the Clothes Show event at Birmingham’s NEC.

The final winner as chosen by Tristan Webber (Clothes Show Live’s artistic director) and Hilary Alexander (fashion director of The Daily Telegraph) was Akari Fujimoto a student of the London College of Fashion, studying a Level 3 Diploma in Production Tailoring.

Akari Fujimoto being presented with her prize by Caryn Franklin and Brendan Courtney

Stunning image from the main stage fashion show

Hi Everyone,

Appologies for not being a very active blogger this week.  I’m in the process of packing up my life and moving house.  Well actually it seems I’m just packing up clutter and junk that i can’t seem to rid from my life, that just seems to move from place to place with me.  I actually moved most of my business to my new temporary residence a few months ago but left most stuff at my old house until it was sold.  I hate moving, and sometimes wish I was one of those people - as pictured above - who can fit all their worldly posessions into one bag and off they go.  No such luck with me though.  I have a huge collection of vintage knitting books and patterns, and keep every issue of Elle Decoration and Wallpaper Magazine (I have every issue ever published barr numbers 1-4)  And I haven’t even mentioned my wardrobe full of clothes and shoes…oh well better get moving ….

This week at the Living North Christmas Fair, I spotted this lady as she wandered past my stand at the show. She was very striking in her appearance, and wearing a gorgeous bolero-length mini trench coat. Its funny the contacts I’ve already made just chatting to people on the street about their clothes. It has become a really good ice breaker to start some really interesting and purposeful conversations. As it transpired Sarah Underwood, pictured above runs a company selling cashmere knitwear from Nepal, her company is called Himalayan Originals.

I find it fascinating to meet people who are not only passionate about similar things that I am, but when they actually go out and make a difference to their and others lives by starting up their own business. I plan to meet up with Sarah again soon to discuss possible future business collaborations.

I loved what she was wearing, because of the way she is weraing just two colours grey and black but the black top underneath the jacket is differently textured and striped, the skirt has an interesting little frill at the back hem and she has accessorised with some bright jewellery.

This week I’m exhibiting at the Living North Christmas Fair at Newcastle’s Gosforth Park Racecourse. The fair is really interesting because it brings together some of the more interesting and delightful companies based in the North and further-a-field. Businesses like Seaham Hall Hotel offering exclusive spa breaks, to garden designers, fine artists, and niche clothing businesses like Cameron-Addison, Penny Plain and Wealth of Nations.

Cameron-Addison Range

Cameron-Addison Range

The colours and textures in Margarets outfit add to to the luxurious look.  The sequins on the end of her scarf, add interesting detail and a focal point to the outfit.