Keeping city on the style map (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Keeping city on the style map

8:41am Tuesday 23rd June 2009

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London, Paris and Milan are renowned capitals of haute couture.

Every year fashionistas take their seats beside the runways at the cities’ fashion shows to see the latest trends and spot up-and-coming designers.

Now Yorkshire is proving it also has plenty of style and talent to promote by hosting its own fashion week.

The county is already a strong contributor to the fashion scene, with some top designers sourcing fabrics from textile companies here. Bradford still supplies luxurious yarns to some of the world’s finest fashion houses.

Last Monday’s official launch of Yorkshire Fashion Week, at Castle Howard, featured models showing off stunning collections from Bradford’s Bombay Stores.

This week, the celebrations really get under way with students from several of the region’s colleges and universities showcasing their talents at catwalk shows.

Today, Bradford College students are holding their fashion show – part of the School of Arts and Media Summer Show – at the Yorkshire Craft Centre, to coincide with Yorkshire Fashion Week.

A spokesman for the college said the students were thrilled to be involved. “We are delighted to be part of the event because it puts Bradford on the map and showcases the high-quality work of students from the School of Arts and Media. It’s a great platform for our students to showcase their work,” she said.

Designer Betty Jackson will also showcase a collection. The event will be presented by the Huddersfield-based Textile Centre of Excellence and supported by Yorkshire Forward, Welcome To Yorkshire, Skillfast-UK – the sector skills council of fashion and textiles – and Kirklees Council.

An exhibition called Behind The Seams, organised by Skillfast-UK, profiles the key skills enabling some of the UK’s largest fashion brands to thrive.

Louise Wood, of Skillfast-UK, says: “The aim is to help young people have a better understanding of the variety of jobs and range of skills required by top-quality manufacturers and fashion houses. This should help to ensure that they are better informed and equipped for employment in the sector.”

The exhibition takes place at the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield, where a gala evening will be held on Friday featuring a catwalk show, staged by Louise Morton & Co model agency of Hudderfield.

Students from Bradford and other colleges and universities involved in Yorkshire Fashion Week will showcase their collections alongside Bombay Stores.

Terry Hodgkinson, chairman of Yorkshire Forward which is supporting the event, says: “Our region has a history of textile innovation, and today Yorkshire-based fashion and textile manufacturers supply more than 20 other industry sectors, with products including the aerospace, medical and construction industries, which is why it is vital to Yorkshire and Humber’s economy.

“The Textile Centre of Excellence will produce the designers of the future. And Yorkshire Fashion Week will showcase the skills and provide a platform for the leading designers of tomorrow.”

Christopher Bailey, creative director of Burberry, is a keen supporter. “As a Yorkshirema, I feel incredibly proud to be associated with such a fantastic initiative and expression of Northern talent. It really reflects the heritage the county has always had in textiles, design, quality and creativity.

“Burberry has a long-standing association with Yorkshire, producing our iconic rainwear in Castleford and regularly working with local initiatives and universities.”

• For more information or for tickets to the Bradford catwalk show, call Bradford College on (01274) 438998. The Gala Fashion evening is a ticket-only event. For more information contact The Textile Centre of Excellence on (01484) 346500, or e-mail yfw@textile-training.com.

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