Womenswear students provide insight on how Gen Z's views on marriage could shape the future of bridalwear
- Written byLondon College of Fashion
- Published date 25 September 2024
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Earlier this year, 20 students from BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear collaborated with bridalwear company Justin Alexander to explore the evolving landscape of weddings and the significance of cultural sustainability in fashion design.
Justin Alexander debuted in 1940s New York at a time when women were able to shed the utilitarian confines of wartime fashion and were able to re-embrace fashion as a means to express themselves. By embracing the change, they are still an internationally renowned bridal brand today. Recognising another generational shift in the attitude of consumers, Justin Alexander came to London College of Fashion to develop the ‘Bridal Futures’ project.
Our academic experts worked with Justin Alexander to design a brief which challenged students to design a garment of the future by telling the story of their cultural histories and exploring their opinions on marriage. Guided through the process by academic and client feedback, these designs were presented as a mixture of finished garments, toiles and sketchbook designs. Each piece gave fresh and relevant insight on emerging trends suited to the taste and values of the next generation of brides.
One of the student participants told us:
‘It was a fascinating opportunity to understand the bridal market and bridal wear, especially as design student, participating this project helped me to consider how my own aesthetics fits in the specific community and enhance it as a modern bridal wear.’
After reviewing the work of each talented designer, Justin Alexander were so inspired by the work of student Momoyo Wada, they agreed to purchase the rights to the design which they will now commercialise and develop into a product which will be at the forefront of market trends. The project also won a UAL wide award for its Knowledge Exchange impact, emphasising not only how beneficial this was for the business, but for the impact on our young designers too.
Justin Alexander said they received ‘new fresh ideas, interesting insights on heritage and interesting insights on how the new generations views marriage’ from this project and noted heritage and culture to be one of the core values of their brand.
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