NEWS RELEASE

SDC Colour & Textiles Award 2008 winner: Laura Fauvel

Ravensbourne student scoops SDC award at Graduate Fashion Week

Laura Fauvel, a BA (Hons) Fashion (Womenswear/Textiles) third year student from Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication in London, was announced as the winner of the SDC Colour & Textiles Award for 2008 at the Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) Gala Show on 11 June. Only the second ever such award to be presented, the judges David Saunders (designer behind the label David David) and Chris Sargeant (SDC vice-president for fashion/design) felt Laura’s portfolio was worthy of this accolade due to her sophisticated designs and application of colour.

The winning designs were inspired by birds of paradise of Papua New Guinea – Laura’s place of birth – and featured feathers, chiffon, pleated organza and printed catsuits. Comments Laura, ‘Since winning the SDC Colour and Textiles Award, I have never felt so happy – and happy because I have succeeded for myself. It is the most amazing feeling in the world.’ Laura received her prestigious GFW trophy at the Gala Show, as well as a cheque for £750 and £250 for Ravensbourne’s Fashion Department.

Comments Chris Sargeant, ‘It was great to be involved in GFW again this year, the birthplace of amazing new talent. Our award attracted nominations from almost 50% more colleges this year, which meant David and I had a formidable task. We chose Laura as our winner because she managed to creatively combine a variety of colour application techniques. The resulting designs were highly sophisticated which immediately attracted attention and stood out from the rest.’

Fashion design students also shortlisted for the award were Louise Simmonds (Northbrook College) with her ecclesiastical and Renaissance-inspired designs (incorporating a 200 year old gold brocade vestment), and Gadon Liu (University of East London) with his range of knitwear with subtle-infused colour.

The SDC exhibition stand attracted considerable attention, particularly on the Education Day, where visitors learnt how the SDC connects colleges (and schools) with colour. Many students and tutors were interested in discovering the science and technology behind colour and hearing how the SDC prepares graduate designers to better communicate with dyers and printers in their future careers.

Visitors were also astounded to see how colour perception can impact on design and many students took part in the competition that was running on the SDC stand throughout the week. The winner, who now gets to showcase her designs in the SDC online galleries, is fashion student Sophia Small (Northbrook College).

Notes to editors:

About the SDC
The Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) is an independent, not-for-profit educational charity and the world’s only chartered, professional body dedicated to colour. It is the natural focus and authority on all matters relating to colour application, control, standards and performance. It has more than 80 years of experience in the development of colour-related standards and has been responsible for introducing many of the standards used today for the colour fastness performance of textiles and colour measurement. It has held the secretariats of both BSI and ISO standard bodies. www.sdc.org.uk

SDC supporting design students
The SDC, with its growing recognition and importance in the fashion/design sector, encourages the creative and inspired use of colour in fashion and textile design and is a committed sponsor of young designers. In addition to awarding bursaries and grants, the SDC sponsors various awards and runs design competitions worldwide. To introduce students to the technical world of colour and, in particular, to the practical issues involved in putting their creative skills to best use, the SDC runs its College Patron Supporter Scheme providing knowledge, information and insights to help students convert colour creativity into colour certainty.

About Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication
Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication is a University Sector College, validated by the University of Sussex. Ravensbourne specialises in the creative exploitation of digital technologies in design and communication within a lively interdisciplinary learning community. The BA (Hons) Fashion programmes focus on the development of the individual as a designer of the future. With four fashion design areas open to students, the courses are renowned for creativity and for delivering a high-quality educational experience. Students are motivated to develop their own individual style within a stimulating environment. www.rave.ac.uk

About David David
David David is the fashion label of David Saunders, who came to fashion after graduating in fine arts from Chelsea College of Art in 1999. His designs are known for their trademark vivid prints, utilising geometric shapes and bright colours, and his newest collection combines these with traditional tailoring and sportswear influences. He has had recent collaborations in projects for Fred Perry and House of Holland, and has recently received the backing of the British Fashion Council as part of its New Generation initiative. David will be presenting his spring/summer 2009 collection at London Fashion Week in September this year. www.daviddavid.co.uk

About Graduate Fashion Week
Graduate Fashion Week has become the world’s greatest showcase of young up and coming fashion and design talent. Truly the best place in the world to spot undiscovered new talent, Graduate Fashion Week is the industry’s looking glass into the future of fashion and all its related disciplines. It celebrates the work of more than 1000 of the finest BA Degree fashion students from 49 member universities across the UK, for the biggest showcase of young talent in the world. www.gfw.org.uk

Press photos are available on request

A showcase of winning and shortlisted designs will be available on the SDC websites in due course.

For more information about this release contact the SDC press office.