Dubbed ‘the Oscars of the tailoring world’, the Golden Shears competition brings together the very best tailoring apprentices and fashion students from around the UK to showcase their creative flair and technical aptitude. Taking place every 2 years, the competition has been running since 1974 and this year included participants from Savile Row Academy, Cosprop, London College of Fashion, The Tailoring Academy, and more.
Wimbledon College of Arts dominated the competition with BA Costume for Theatre and Screen student Mila Dastugue awarded 1st place, taking home a £3000 award. Imogen Pike, also studying BA Costume for Theatre and Screen, placed 3rd winning the ‘The Rising Star’ award, taking home £2000. Participating alongside Mila and Imogen were fellow costume student Rui Ke and Wimbledon alum, Sophie Jones.
Mila, Imogen and Rui were guided through the design and making process by Joshua Dobrik, Lecturer in Costume, Tailoring and Menswear, and BA Costume for Theatre and Screen Course Leader, Kevin Freeman.
Joshua, who is a Savile Row-trained pattern cutter and completed their apprenticeship under the tutelage of the legendary Edward Sexton, reflects on the process:
“It was imperative that the students fully understood the stylistic expectations that the judges would have. We had a lot of long days and sleepless nights with students working tirelessly to sew their pieces together to compete on such a prestigious stage”
This year’s winner, Mila Dastugue, says “I feel extremely happy to have won” while Imogen Pike reflects “this has been the most incredible conclusion to the past few months of work and my introduction to tailoring”