DMU's Graduate Fashion Week Showcase Combines Lego with Fashion
This year, Leicester’s De Montfort University (DMU) will bring Lego to Graduate Fashion Week with a stand built from the toy bricks and a catwalk inspired by its bright colours.
Students and staff have been busy designing and building furniture and props from Lego pieces as part of the concept for this years Graduate Fashion exhibition which will go on display at the Earls Court event from Sunday 6 to Thursday 10 June.
The University’s catwalk is on Tuesday 8 June and will feature a backdrop in a pillar box red plastic material to echo the sheen of Lego bricks.
Della Swain, DMU’s Programme Leader for Fashion Design, said: “The concept was inspired by James May’s Lego house that was aired on TV last year, Lego computer games and the recent trend for using the bricks in adverts – all of which has resulted in the surge of popularity the toy has experienced.
“We thought that if a house could be built out of it, we would definitely manage to build our stand for Graduate Fashion Week out of it, to help showcase our third year Fashion Design students’ work in a really eye catching and unique way. We think it will definitely have that ‘wow’ factor.”
A team of volunteers including staff and students from (courses) have been putting their imagination and structural skills to the test, gluing the Lego pieces together to make visually interesting pieces of furniture for the stand.
“We’re also hoping our models will carry little Lego men down the catwalk and industry names at our catwalk show on Tuesday might just find themselves sitting next to someone they weren’t expecting,” she added.
Graduate Fashion Week is a higher education event which gives students the chance to debut their fashion collections in London, often for the first time. It also offers an opportunity for industry names to talent spot for their future designers.
DMU has 14 students who will show garments on the catwalk on Tuesday 8 June, ranging from leopard print menswear bomber jackets, Wedgewood-inspired womenswear, to a collection with prints taken from 1950s Ford Motor Company designs.
The University is also hosting a catwalk show at Freemasons Hall in Covent Garden, London, to showcase Contour Fashion and Fashion and Contour Design students’ collections on Tuesday 14 June.
