University News Last updated 26 April 2013
A textile design student from Birmingham City University has won the opportunity to have their fabric design commercially produced for a range of outdoor furniture.
Telford-based Hartman UK launched the competition with Birmingham City University to find the next generation of outdoor furniture textile designers. After receiving over 80 entries, leading outdoor furniture company Hartman crowned Sophie Hawkesford, a second-year student on the University’s Textile Design BA (Hons) course, as the overall winner. Her design will be applied to seat cushions which will feature in Hartman UK’s 2015 collection.
Sophie was presented with a £300 cheque at a ceremony at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design on Thursday 18 April. Runners-up Amy Sellers and Josie Holuj were also presented with cheques of £100 each.
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Paul Facey, Hartman UK’s Sales Director, said: “The quality of entries was exceptionally high, but Sophie stood out as she demonstrated a good understanding of the brief and strong commercial awareness. Her fabric design will look fantastic across a wide range of furniture and we’re sure it will be a huge success when it launches.”
As part of the brief the students were also tasked to develop a range of design outcomes for The Garden Centre Group. Sophie Gehin, Garden Buyer (Furniture & Barbecues) for The Garden Centre Group and her team chose Textile Design BA (Hons) student Melissa Houston as the overall winner, with Arian Parkinson and Lily Evangeline Grace Smith 2nd and 3rd prize winners.
Melissa’s overall collection featuring a series of contemporary ‘mix and match’ floral and stripe designs fitted the brief and successfully captured the brand of The Garden Centre Group.
Clare Langford, Textile Design lecturer, said: “Our students got such a lot out of the Hartman project, it really helped to motivate and focus their creative design thinking and resulted in some fantastic work. Live projects are so vital in developing well rounded and industry ready students.”
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