The fashion press has fallen for the first collection designed by a De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) graduate.
Lowri Edwards, who graduated in
Fashion Design last summer, launched her designs with high street store Warehouse to rave reviews.
The Daily Telegraph urged: “Get your fashion notebooks and jot down the name Lowri Edwards” while fashion blog Today I’m Wearing picked her metallic gold skirt as channelling “serious designer vibes”.
Her 10-piece collection has also been highlighted in fashion magazine Grazia and featured in top fashion blogs.
Lowri said: “I’ve been pleased with the reception the collection has had, it was a bit of a shock to be honest.
“The process has been really exciting. I’ve had a lot of compliments and hopefully it does well for Warehouse.”
Lowri was chosen to design for Warehouse after winning a British Council-run contest open to fashion design students from around the country.
Her capsule collection for Graduate Fashion Week, Comfort of Nostalgia, used materials including duvets, bedding and pillows as well as embroidery and foil.
She spent six months working in Warehouse’s design teams to develop the collection and said it was a fantastic experience. She has created beautifully cut, minimalist pieces which include fabulous detail.
Lowri said: “I got quite a lot of time to get comfortable with the company and developed my designs into something that was wearable for Warehouse. I got a lot of assistance from the head of design and the team.
“The collection is quite close to the originals, so I’m pleased about that. It’s more refined than my GFW collection and has clean lines which I like, I’m not one for fussy details.
“My favourite pieces are probably the pinafore dress and the V-neck dress, but I know the one which has been talked about most is the skirt.”
Lowri, 23, is now working in a design room as a sample assistant as she continues to see as many sides of the industry as possible.
Della Swain, Course Leader in Fashion Design at DMU, said: "I absolutely love Lowri’s collection and we’re incredibly proud of her. It’s testament to the talent we have at DMU that we have won this competition two years running.”
Posted on Wednesday 20 April 2016