University News Last updated 19 June
An outdoor fashion show orchestrated by students from Birmingham City University (BCU) took place on Oozells Square in Brindleyplace yesterday evening (18th June 2024) in celebration of Birmingham’s creative industries.
The show, titled BCU Presents: 1000 Threads, featured 36 outfits carefully curated from the collections of a diverse range of BCU fashion designers. The show formed the centrepiece of BCU’s annual Inspired Festival.
Intricate works created by students from BCU’s prestigious School of Jewellery were also paired with the fashion pieces, highlighting how the city’s heritage industries remain an important part of the design process.
Lee Lapthorne, Head of Jewellery, Fashion and Textiles at BCU, called the event a resounding success, adding: “Yesterday we saw the vibrancy and ingenuity of our students on full display.
“Designers representing multiple industries successfully came together to deliver a truly unique experience for guests and members of the public alike.
“At BCU, we encourage our graduates to be ambitious and we like to offer them opportunities to show their work in the best light.
“The designs we saw on the catwalk clearly show that Birmingham’s creative spark is still very much alive and kicking”.
Andrew Riley, founder and editor of STYLE Birmingham was thrilled to help organise the event: “It was amazing to see so many students, families, BCU staff and local businesses at last night’s event.
“Community inclusion remains vital to the success of events like these. It was a truly inspirational evening that confirms the future of Birmingham’s fashion industry is safe in the hands of the next generation of designers”.
The Bond Street Singers, a collaboration between Jim ‘Shaft’ Ryan, Miss Moneypenny’s founding DJ and producer, and Shereece Storrod, artistic director of Black Voices, Europe’s finest female a cappella quintet, opened the event.
Following the catwalk, students from Elmhurst Ballet School, wearing costumes designed by BCU students, performed in the exhibition space.
To support the event, Brindleyplace and CBRE are hosting an exhibition of works in their X building. The exhibition, which includes installations by BCU students, is open to public viewing between 2-3pm until Friday.