Paris beckons for fashion students

Students from Colchester Institute will have the opportunity of a lifetime, by exhibiting in the fashion capital of the world, this February.

30 2nd and 3rd year students from the BA (Hons) Art and Design: Fashion and Textiles course, will travel to ‘Premiere Vision Paris 2010’ to showcase their designs from Tuesday 9th to Friday 12th February.

Val Jacobs, course leader for Fashion and Textiles says: ‘‘Premiere Vision is Europe’s largest trade show for the fashion textile industry. This is a fantastic opportunity for the degree students to sell their products and make contacts with leading brands and design companies. This will be the second year we have exhibited and sold students’ design work, and we’re all looking forward to a successful trip.’’

The students hope that by exposing their designs at the show, they will be spotted and sold. It is also an excellent opportunity to network which could lead to opportunities to help launch their careers upon completion of their degree.

One student, Charlotte Robinson, 20, had samples of her work taken to New York in January, at a similar trade show and was lucky enough to have a mystery buyer purchase one of the garments.

She says: ‘‘I’m not sure who bought it, but it’s very exciting. It shows that there’s a market for the type of work I create which is obviously a good sign. I can’t wait to get to Paris and start making the contacts I need to get ahead. Hopefully it’ll lead to some work experience and then who knows?’’ 

Mia Holmes, a 2nd year student, is exhibiting her work for the first time in Paris. She says: ‘‘It’s an extremely exciting opportunity, and I feel very lucky to be part of a College that has enabled me to get there at the beginning of my career. I’m also very apprehensive about how people will respond to my designs, but I know everyone has to do it at some point.’’

Val Jacobs continues: ‘‘This opportunity is made all the more amazing by the fact that only a handful of Colleges are picked to showcase. This just shows the calibre of work the students within the Centre for Art, Design and Media at Colchester Institute are producing.’’

The twice yearly show hosts creative collections from international design studio for all fashion markets and welcomes over 50,000 professionals.