FatFace recognises Liverpool student’s talent at Graduate Fashion Week

6 June 2018

UCLan fashion student wins retail design competition

A Liverpool student will see her fashion design sold across the country after winning a Graduate Fashion Week competition set by international retailer FatFace.

Hannah Morley from Prescot, who studies fashion design at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), is one of four winners of the competition, which tasked the students with designing a unisex t-shirt that encapsulates FatFace’s style and brand. All four winning designs are now available in selected FatFace stores nationwide and online at fatface.com

The 21-year-old third year student impressed judges, including designer Henry Holland and journalist Hilary Alexander OBE, with her Moon Tripper design of a cartoonish take on the solar system. Hannah’s idea came from research into future trends and inspiration from London fashion brand Rixo’s galaxy print pieces.

Hannah, who attended Rainhill High School and Cronton Sixth Form College before coming to UCLan, said: “It feels so surreal to actually have won the competition. I’ve been on a placement at Glamorous this past year where I had been doing a lot of prints and graphics and realised print design is something I’m really interested in.”

"When I saw the competition I thought it would just be really good practice and the body of work would be great for my portfolio. I never at all imagined I would win."

Emma Shaw, FatFace's Director of Design, said on the competition: “Home grown talent has been integral to the growth of FatFace over the past 30 years, which has taken us from a small company selling t-shirts out of a campervan to a global multi-channel brand.

"We look forward to supporting the four winning designers in the first steps of their exciting careers."

All four designs were seen at the Best of Graduate Fashion Week catwalk show as part of the five-day event, which showcases the very best of student fashion from universities around the world. During Graduate Fashion Week, work produced by more than 1,000 students and graduates is on display and attracts many big names from the global fashion industry.

The winning t-shirt designs are available in sizes XS-XXXL and are priced at £25. A percentage of the profits from the sale of the t-shirts will go to Graduate Fashion Week, to continue with its support of emerging design talent.

Hannah Morley
Hannah Morley