Inspired by the 1000 Threads fashion show in Oozells Square earlier this summer, the Harvey Nichols Birmingham team have partnered with Birmingham City University (BCU) to showcase the very best of this year’s design graduates.
Known for its state-of-the-art store and premium designer collections, Harvey Nichols has given selected BCU School of Fashion & Textile graduates the opportunity to display their work alongside some of the biggest names in luxury fashion.
The designers from L to R: Annabel Merheim Kealy, Emily Knight Rhiannon Christie and Conor Holmes.
This year’s striking new window, in the Mailbox, will highlight the work of five BA Fashion Design graduates Conor Holmes, Katie Garcha, Sedra Mohan, Rhiannon Chrisene, Shasha Zhang. Alongside striking pieces from BA Jewellery & Object graduates Emily Knight, Annabel Merheim Kealy, Boran Zhang, Same Kellet and Sun Ziyi at the renowned BCU School of Jewellery.
Claire Hewitt, General Manager at Harvey Nichols Birmingham said, “It’s our pleasure to provide the students with a platform to exhibit their hard work. The talent this year has blown us away and we love that we have been able to share this with our customers and the wider Mailbox community. We wish this year’s graduates the very best as they enter their careers.”
Dean Fallon, Senior Lecturer, BA [Hons] Fashion Design said, “Working with the students, their final year of study really is an emphasis on quality and their individual relevance to industry. An opportunity like this reinforces the demands of our BA Fashion Design course. Showcasing the graduate designs on such a high-profile platform demonstrates both the innovation and standard achieved by the students. We are super proud of the students and extremely grateful to the Harvey Nichols team for curating the showcase and championing the new talent coming out of Birmingham.”
—
From the Designers
—
Rhiannon Chrisene, BA [Hons] Fashion Design Graduate
“I’m feeling very blessed to be chosen for this opportunity, displaying the outcome of my hard work on such an exclusive platform. I feel I have grown as a designer and a person this year, alongside my collection, which has taught me many things- one being that you can never develop a design too many times, which is evident in this showcased look. Exhibited is my fifth design and represents the evolution of my collection as the placement print is a development from my projection photoshoot of my 4 other looks. I’m proud of everything I’ve produced this year, including completing my first collection, and I’m excited to see what prospects it leads me to.”
—
Conor Holmes, BA [Hons] Fashion Design Graduate
“Seeing my graduate collection come to completion was a great feeling and being able to see the design and development come to life was an achievement. Being selected to display work in the window of Harvey Nichols is a great pleasure and I’m happy that other people get to see the final product and I get to speak and share where the ideas came from. It’s always nice to see how differently people interpret the final garments.”
—
Sedra Mohan, BA [Hons] Fashion Design Graduate
“Making this dress was a wonderful experience, learning and testing new processes with fabrics and materials I’ve never used before. I’m glad to see my efforts paying off and grateful for this opportunity from Harvey Nichols.”
