During a time when the whole of the UK and other parts of the world were in an unprecedented lockdown WSA’s Year 2 Fashion Design students took up the challenge to design a clothing and accessory line for designer accessory label F-Troupe.
F-Troupe
F-Troupe, best known for its original and off-beat designs, were able to offer WSA Fashion Design students an excellent and well-rounded insight into designing for an established label. When briefed to design a modern eight-outfit collection with accessories, students were also aware that the designs had to connect with F-Troupe’s Japanese stores ‘Curios’ and ‘Jabberwocky’ and celebrity followers such as Lily Allen, Alexa Chung, Pixie Lott and Paloma Faith.
All students were asked to select from the Victorian, Edwardian or 20s eras and focus on relevant films and artists to inspire their designs. Congratulations to the following students whose designs, T-Troupe felt, would sell successfully in their stores.
Cici Lai
A glimpse into the world of Victorian gentrified ladies who present their wealth and respected identities through their style of dress. It is interesting to see how the sleeve alone can be a symbol of the time and level of class.
Cindy Yao
The drama, romance and visual landscape of renowned authors Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West lives in the film ‘Vita & Virginia’ enabled Cindy to capture F-Troupe’s feminine, elegant and playful vibe. “In their own world writers can be free and unfettered. They write about the ideal world but experience a different life… I think every girl is a writer looking forward to the beautiful and ideal.”
Hannah Vatcher
Luxury lounge wear nodding to the reform of upperclass Victorian leisure pursuits. A move towards being both respectable and productive, good for the soul and the country as a whole. Details inspired by Victorian illustrations and children’s books are reworked into surface designs with fabric scraps that capture the ‘now’ and the ‘then’.
Sophie Lloyd
A truly home make with wooden heels and accessory hardware made by Sophie’s dad and fabrics made from heating and beautifully forming waste plastics. It was the considered Edwardian details like pin-tucking in the garments that F-Troupe loved and felt would be a hit in their shops.
Sylvia Song
Frills and fullness add a youthful and playful silhouette whilst also flattering the form. The all-over repeat pattern of the mysterious and dark old found Edwardian photographs are given an interesting new direction with fun pops of colour painted in.
Across University of Southampton staff and students have been working with the global effort to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from creating innovative support technology to developing potential vaccines.
Courtesy of Leesa Miller
Courtesy of Hannah Andrew
Fashion Design staff and students at WSA are also doing their bit by working with local organisations, hospitals and care homes making useful fabric items for the staff to wear and use.
It is interesting to see the range of fabric items needed. For example, helping her cousin who is an NHS matron at Epsom Hospital, Year 1 Student Hannah Andrew is making bags from old bed sheets and pillow cases. These are used as a protective wrap for the uniforms until they are put into the washing machine. Without these fabric bags the uniforms would be in contact with surfaces and the medical staff may take their uniforms home in plastic bags and throw them away.
Thank you to all staff and students helping the NHS and care teams to do their amazing work. Also, thank you to all students making face coverings to help reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Wish to know more about the Fashion Design programme? Why not visit our campus in the beautiful city of Winchester. This is the best way for you to fully understand what we are about. Here you can meet our staff, chat with our current students, see our first-class facilities, experience our work, visit our halls of residence (Open Days only), and find the answers to any questions you may have about what we have to offer here on the Fashion Design programme.
