Fashion student success

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Fashion student celebrates double competition success

Final year Bath Spa University BA (Hons) Fashion Design student Millie Grover has been announced as one of five winners in this year’s Graduate Fashion Foundation X Mother of Pearl X Tencel competition set by Amy Powney, Mother of Pearl Creative Director. 

Out of 100 entries, Millie and her four fellow winning student designers were triumphant, and they will now have one of their designs selected by Amy Powney herself, to be crafted and manufactured at Dumfries House in Scotland, as part of its production programme.

Millie’s final garments, along with her inspiration and design entry boards, will be exhibited at Graduate Fashion Week 2023. Her works of art will also be showcased live on the runway as part of the Best of GFW23 Catwalk Show on Thursday 15 June 2023.

Millie’s creations take to the skies

With no limits to her talent, Millie’s creations have also taken her on the trip of a lifetime to Germany to secure her a place in the final of this year’s GFF x Kornit Digital Printed Fashion Textile competition.

Millie entered a competition run by the Graduate Fashion Foundation (GFF) - the charity behind Graduate Fashion Week - and global fashion technology company, Kornit Digital.

Millie was one of only eight students to be selected after the first round of designs were reviewed by a professional industry judging panel. Along with the seven others, in March of this year, Millie was flown to Düsseldorf, to spend two days printing the fabric for her collection. 

While in Düsseldorf, Millie watched her work come to life as her print design went into production. She is now preparing for the second round of the competition where all eight students will go head-to-head and have their shortlisted designs showcased in London.

Reflecting on the unique experience, Millie said:

“I travelled to Kornit in Düsseldorf to see my fabric being printed and watch it come to life. It was a great experience and I’m looking forward to realising my designs into final garments from the printed fabric.”

Three winners will then be selected by Kornit Digital and will have their collections worn on the catwalk during this year’s Graduate Fashion Week 2023 Best of Show in June.

Speaking on Millie’s success, Emma Askew-Miller, Fashion Design Course Leader at Bath Spa University, said:

"From the very inception of this idea Millie was clear what she wanted the outcome to be. She meticulously crafted each element of this project to her final conclusion and has received the recognition she deserves.”

With more than 20 years’ fashion industry experience under her belt, before joining Bath Spa University, Emma worked as a creative pattern cutter for designers including Alexander McQueen, Temperley and other luxury high street labels, and embeds this knowledge in her teaching. You can read Emma’s staff profile to find out more.