Lewisham teens named joint winners at fashion show as part of London Fashion week
Two teenagers were named joint overall winner at a fashion show as part of London Fashion week.
George Howie, 19, and Maria Silva, 17, both from Lewisham, scooped the top prize for their clothes designs at the 2019 Fashion Futures Final at Victoria House, Bloomsbury on September 13.
Organised by youth fashion charity, FAD, the show had 20 finalists all aged 15-19, with five of them from Lewisham.
All finalists showcased designs exploring issues of sustainability and humans’ relationship with the natural world.
George’s chic black dress and sports luxe cap drew parallels between bees’ and humans’ habitats of beehives and tower blocks.
Its embroidered message, “If we die, we’re taking you with us,” delivers a stark ecological statement on the plight of bees and the dying earth.
George said: “FAD has helped me learn how to create a concept that has meaning. I’ve also become more confident in using a sewing machine and just trying out new things.”
Maria’s vibrant menswear outfit took inspiration from the zero-waste movement which focused on reusing and repurposing materials so that nothing is sent to landfill.
Her 1990s-inspired ensemble incorporated thrifted denim garments and coloured yarn created from discarded T-shirts which were used for knitted panels and braided trims.
Maria said: “My design is about sustainability 100 per cent – that’s why I’m using scrap materials and hope to encourage people to use less and stop buying more, as the fashion industry is one of the worst contributors to pollution.
“FAD has helped so much with exploring my creativity and learning more about the technical side of fashion design. Their support is amazing.”
