A fashion competition and exhibition to inspire the next generation of sustainable fashion designers from across Bath and North East Somerset has been launched. Fashion and Fairytale is a not-for-profit community competition and exhibition, with schools, classes and individual students from KS1, KS2, secondary schools and undergraduate colleges invited to submit nature-inspired, sustainable outfit designs to the Fashion and Fairytale design competition by the 31 January 2020.
With the fashion industry accounting for a larger carbon footprint than the whole of Europe, this is a chance to kickstart a local conversation about sustainability, fast fashion and the role the next generation of designers can play in changing buying habits and protecting the environment. Fashion and Fairytale is described as ‘a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity, to let your imagination soar and design the outfit of your dreams. This is an exciting community project that merges fashion, fairytale and nature, with the overall emphasis on sustainability and beauty.’
Entries will be judged by leading local designers and craftspeople. The winning outfit will be manufactured – with input by the winning creator – and exhibited alongside Bath-based, international fashion designer and children’s author, Cindy Beadman’s iconic collection of ballroom gowns from 2-6 August 2020, and in her collection and education book due to be published alongside the free exhibition.
Cindy’s own rise from poverty to seeing her gowns appearing in the V&A, and museums around the world, is a fairytale in itself and the project aims to appeal to students of all backgrounds. Partnering with Mentoring Plus, the winning designs will also be exhibited at a ticketed Gala Fashion Show and auction at the Assembly Rooms, Bath on 9 July 2020.
To celebrate sustainability and creativity, Fashion and Fairytale will be running a Window Display Competition Trail for families in the October Half Term. Retailers will showcase their sustainable products whilst turning their shop fronts into a Fashion & Fairytale wonderland. Trail walkers can collect their trail sheets from My Small World, vote on their favourite windows and return their trail maps in exchange for a Fashion & Fairytale design competition entry sheet.
The team behind the project has produced lots of resources to inspire creativity and design sheets can either be downloaded from the website www.fashionandfairytale.co.uk or printed copies can be collected from My Small World Toy Store in Southgate, Bath. Schools can also apply for free facilitated lessons and assemblies by emailing Katy Hancock on email hidden; JavaScript is required.