
Savile Row, Gieves & Hawkes. Pic credit: Alamy.com
Final-year fashion students at the University of Sunderland have entered a national competition that showcases creative and technical skills.
The Golden Shears competition, chaired by Simon Cundey, of famous Savile Row tailors, Henry Poole, aims to celebrate the best fashion design students and apprentice tailors across the country.
It is seen as a major stepping-stone into the fashion industry and students on the BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Promotion programme, hope to see their creations on the catwalks in London, if they win.
Fashion Design Programme Leader Jayne Smith says “Anyone who gets selected for the finals, can state this on their CV and it is a major stepping stone to a job working in Savile Row.”
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The Golden Shears contest is held every two years and has been running since 1974 – created by Robert Bright, Liveryman of the Company and President of the Federation of Merchant Tailors – and aimed to find the best tailor in the UK.
By 1998 it was decided that the GS Award would focus on students on dedicated tailoring courses and trades’ apprentices. The finale of the competition consists of a live catwalk at Merchant Taylors’ Hall “the spiritual home of tailoring” and is the only event of its kind dedicated to promoting the best young creative and technical talent in tailoring.
Previous Golden Shears finalists have gone on to become head cutters on Savile Row, designers in couture ateliers, lecturers at leading universities, and business owners in their own rights.
The winners receive a cash prize as well as the award and is a great opportunity for our fashion design students:
-Golden Shears winner £3,000
-Silver Shears £2,500
-Rising Star £2,000