UAL Short Courses X Wool4School: Fashion Design Competition 2024
- Written byCarys Thomas
- Published date 25 September 2024
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Here at UAL Short Courses, we work in partnership with the Woolmark Company on their annual student design competition - Wool4School.
Designed to support budding fashion and textile designers, the competition invites students to showcase their creativity and innovation using wool. Winners are awarded a summer short course of their choice in London.
We caught up with this year’s winner, 17-year-old Alexandra Burch, to hear more about her winning entry. The aspiring fashion designer tells us about her experience at Central Saint Martins this summer and shares her hopes for the future.
The brief: natural elements
This year, students were asked to create a design made from wool, taking inspiration from the earth’s natural elements: earth, water, fire and air.
Students were encouraged to explore colour, texture and decorative techniques and incorporate them into their design ideas.
“I chose to look at the element of water,” says Alexandra. “When sunlight reflects off water it creates a magical look. I wanted to show that through the choice of colours and patterns, so I chose deep blues and golds.”
Alexandra completed visual research to bring her design ideas together. “I looked at the hippie movement of the late 1960s and chose to focus my silhouettes and design on that,” she explains.
The course: Fashion Design CSM
Keen to meet other like-minded students, Alexandra opted for our Fashion Design CSM for 16 to 18 Year Olds Short Course.
This exciting project-based course guides students through the design process for fashion design. Students work from a set brief to generate new ideas for fashion and gain an insight into the spirit of fashion study at the world-famous Central Saint Martins.
The course is a great option for anyone looking to develop a portfolio, build confidence and experiment with new ideas.
“I chose the course because it’s the perfect age group for me,” Alexandra tells us. “I thought I could meet lots of people that were interested in the same thing as me and were at the same stage – choosing a university and getting their portfolio ready.”
“I loved the environment at Central Saint Martins,” she says, “the tutor was really supportive – she pushed me to constantly improve and think of new ideas.”
Alexandra particularly enjoyed using the impressive library at Central Saint Martins to research her design projects and find inspiration.
Alexandra plans to apply to university next year to study fashion design and hopes to one day start her own fashion brand.
“I would definitely recommend this course if you’re looking to apply to fashion design at any university, especially Central Saint Martins,” she says.
If you’d like to see how a short course could help you achieve your creative goals, take a look at our upcoming short courses to see what’s coming up.
Whether you’re looking to explore a new direction, develop your creative practice or refresh your skills, a short course is the perfect place to start.
