London, June – Lenzing’s flagship textile brand, TENCEL™ alongside brand ambassador Amy Powney, Creative Director of Mother of Pearl, revealed the 5 finalists of the design competition ‘Fashion Reimagined’, showcased as part of the ‘Best of GFW’ Catwalk at Graduate Fashion Week, the largest showcase of BA Fashion talent in the world.
After partnering with the Graduate Fashion Foundation throughout the academic year, TENCEL™ and brand ambassador Amy Powney, challenged the GFW member university designer network by setting the tree-inspired design competition entitled ‘Fashion Reimagined’, after the powerful documentary that charts Amy’s mission to make a truly sustainable brand. The brief’s subject ‘Any Tree, Any Idea Goes’, chosen as the botanic origins of TENCEL™, was to look into trees in any and every way, finding inspiration simply in the way they look, to conceptual ideas from their relationship to the mycelium network, whilst encouraging designers to think about circularity as much as supply chain and design - full brief here.
Five student designers were selected by Amy Powney and TENCEL™ for their representations of key design pillars including: William Moore - ‘Shadowed Structure’ spotlighting: Technology and Innovation, Emma Dereve - ‘I'm A Tree Hugger’ spotlighting: Zero Waste, India Lupton - ‘Psithurism’ spotlighting: Functionality, Maddison Brabrook - ‘The Meaning of The Tree Of Life’ spotlighting: Circularity and Millie Grover - 'Family Ties' spotlighting: Body Positivity.
In support of collaboration and respect for supply chains and inclusivity, the designs were then crafted and manufactured by The Prince’s Foundation at Dumfries House in Scotland, as part of their Future Textiles Programme. Graduates from their Modern Artisan and Batch Production Skills Programmes worked in partnership with the designers to mirror the industry processes and through remote communication, developed each garment from flat design to 3D, bringing their garments to life using fabrics solely made from TENCEL™ fibers. The finished looks were styled with Camper boots, also made using TENCEL™ fibers.
Speaking about the brief set to the students, Amy highlighted: “My only hope for the next generation of designers is that creativity and sustainability will come hand in hand as so much of our future lies with you.” Amy Powney, TENCEL™ Ambassador.
TENCEL™ representative went on to explain, "Through the 'Fashion Reimagined' design competition, TENCEL™ and Ambassador Amy Powney have sparked a remarkable collaboration with talented student designers and makers, unveiling the power of creativity and sustainability. Inspired by the beauty and potential of trees, these designers have woven together innovation, zero waste, functionality, circularity, and body positivity, showcasing the endless possibilities of TENCEL™ fibers. We are proud to support their journey towards a more sustainable future, guided by the belief that fashion can be both beautiful and environmentally responsible."
Ashleigh Douglas, Future Textiles manager at The Prince's Foundation, said: "With our industry partners, we are providing opportunities for students who now have the opportunity in their final year at university to make garments and products, which is an all-important skill to learn in order to showcase the students designs and for them to develop in certain areas of the fashion and textiles industry. In our Fashion Reimagined programme, we ensure those students are able to better understand the relationship between maker and designer while developing their skills in complex garment-making."
Photo credit:
Catwalk: Shaun James Cox @shaunjamescox
Close-ups: Lacey Ayles @laceyaylesphotography
About TENCEL™
TENCEL™ is the flagship brand under The Lenzing Group that covers textile specialty product fiber offerings. Since 1992, the TENCEL™ brand has been driving the evolution of fiber solutions for the apparel and home textile segments through several industry-first innovations and environmentally responsible production processes. Product brands under TENCEL™ include TENCEL™ Active, TENCEL™ Denim, TENCEL™ Home, TENCEL™ Intimate, TENCEL™ Luxe and TENCEL™ for Footwear.
Featuring botanic origin and biodegradable quality, TENCEL™ branded modal and lyocell fibers are also gentle on skin with smooth, long-lasting softness, color vibrancy and color retention features. TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers are versatile and can be combined with a wide range of textile fibers to enhance the aesthetics and functionality of fabrics. Through moisture management, TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers can also absorb moisture efficiently. Offering endless design possibilities, TENCEL™ Modal fibers can be blended with other fibers and processed using conventional machinery, significantly improving the softness and comfort of fabrics.
Fibers and filaments used under the TENCEL™ brand are derived from certified and controlled sources following the stringent guidelines of the Lenzing Wood and Pulp Policy. They are produced via environmentally responsible production processes and are compostable and biodegradable, thus can fully revert back to nature. They are designated by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) BioPreferred® Program. TENCEL™ Luxe is registered by The Vegan Society.
About Mother of Pearl
Mother of Pearl is a contemporary responsible womenswear brand that celebrates individuality, authenticity and sustainability. Founded in 2002 it produces fashion with heart and conscience that doesn’t cost the earth.
For Creative Director Amy Powney, sustainability has been a life-long passion and she’s been on a mission for Mother of Pearl to reduce its impact on the planet.
In 2017 the brand launched No Frills, a core sustainable collection that forms the everyday Mother of Pearl wardrobe and was the subject of the independent documentary Fashion Reimagined.
Made from organic and natural materials, with a transparent supply chain that puts social responsibility, respect to animals and low-environmental impact first and foremost. Everything the brand learnt from this journey is infiltrated into the entire Mother of Pearl collections and across the business. The MOP website now transparently details the sustainable attributes of each piece, putting power of choice back into the consumers hands and marrying ethics with aesthetics.
Creative Director Amy Powney was appointed brand ambassador for TENCEL™ in 2022. This ambassadorship is the next step for Amy Powney in her ongoing commitment to fulfill her mission to do everything in her power to protect people, planet and nature through her work both at Mother of Pearl and beyond.
For further information please contact:
Liz Roscoe + 44 (0) 7702 807 048 liz@roscoe360.com