Aberdeen’s Bon Accord & St Nicholas will be transformed into a catwalk this weekend, as budding designers at Gray’s School of Art host a pop up event and fashion shows.
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The second and third year Fashion and Textiles students will showcase their designs at the Bon Accord mall on Saturday and Sunday (March 21 and 22) between 12pm and 2pm each day.
The event came about after business improvement organisation Aberdeen Inspired provided £5000 to sponsor last year’s graduate fashion show, which was held at Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) Garthdee campus, and suggested that the art school also host a city centre event to bring their work to a new audience.
Among those exhibiting, is Stage 2 student Jodie Brown (21). She said: “I think the pop- up fashion show is a great opportunity for new designers like myself as it offers an excellent chance to showcase our work to the public and gain exposure.
“It was during a recent visit to Singapore that I was inspired by the architecture and so decided to make this my focus for my project. I liked the silhouettes and angular structures that surrounded the city which is reflected in my final piece to go on show at the Bon Accord Centre.
“Having enjoyed the project throughout, it’s great to be awarded this opportunity and see my work on the catwalk.”
Josie Steed, head of Fashion and Textiles at Gray’s, said: “This is a fabulous opportunity for the students to take their work right into the centre of Aberdeen and to show what they are capable of to a really wide cross section of people.
“Organising and hosting the event has provided the students with great experience that will stand them in good stead as they progress in their careers.”
She added: “Last year’s Aberdeen Inspired sponsorship of our graduate fashion show was fantastic and really helped the students concentrate on creating the best show possible, and we are hoping that we will attract a similar sponsor for the 2015 event which will take place in May.”
Gary Craig, Aberdeen Inspired chief executive, said: “As part of our involvement with last year’s Gray’s School of Art fashion show, we made a suggestion to bring a similar, innovative event to the city centre and we’re delighted to see this come to fruition.
“The pop up event and fashion shows really are a unique showcase of some of the brightest north-east design talent and the city centre show will allow the students to highlight their wares to a new audience, alongside enhancing the shopping experience for those planning to visit the area at the weekend.
“There’s always a real buzz around these types of events and I’d encourage anyone to pop along on either of the days and show their support.”
Craig Stevenson, manager of Bon Accord & St Nicholas, said: “In recent times, we’ve made a conscious effort to really think of alternative ways of adding to our shopper’s overall experience and events such as a fashion show are a great way of doing this.
“We are delighted to be supporting the fashion and textiles students of Gray’s School of Art in what I’m sure will be a fantastic display, warmly received by all.”
The pop up event will be open during the Bon Accord mall’s opening hours of 9am – 6pm on Saturday and 11am – 5pm on Sunday.
The fashion shows will take place on the ground floor of the mall between 12pm and 2pm on both days.
This year’s graduating Fashion and Textile students will be showcasing their work on May 23 and 24 when they host their annual fashion show at RGU.
