Talented students from 91视频 Leicester (DMU) have taken top spot in five award categories at the prestigious Graduate Fashion Week 2025.
The annual event, held this year in London’s trendy Shoreditch, is organised by charity, the Graduate Fashion Foundation to highlight emerging talent and to bring together graduates, fashion educators and leading figures in the fashion industry.
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Fashion Communications and Styling student Dnee Scott won the Digital Fashion Media Award for her final-year project which contained this striking image (above) shot in the pool at DMU's Queen Elizabeth II Leisure Centre.
The Graduate Fashion Week Digital Media Award aims to find and celebrate the voice of a new generation. Dnee explained that the image, which caught the judges' eyes was part of her 'Your Next Move' project about entering the next stage of life.
"I wanted to create an image that viewers would have an emotional connection with," she said. "These days too much marketing in fashion relies only on pretty, aesthetic images that have no underlying meaning. I looked at Gen Z and realised that our generation loves storytelling and things that have meaning. So I came up with this project because I feel it’s something that, no matter what age you are, you can relate to the idea of moving on to your next chapter.
“The first part of the project was to do with drowning in your own thoughts, and that’s why I decided to shoot it in the swimming pool."
Dnee described receiving the award at the London ceremony as "unexpected and surreal", but said she was very grateful to have won.
The Digital Fashion Media Award
There was also success at Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) for DMU’s Bella Rawlinson-Matthews, who picked up the Inclusive Fashion Award, sponsored by Snag, and the Project Pitch Award, presented by Debenhams, for her inclusive fashion magazine ‘FK’UM’.
Heidi Walmsley’s original shoe designs (below) won her the GFW Accessories Award given to the graduate with the most innovative, exciting and creative submission.
GFW shoesHeidiWalmsley (1)
And Casey Henshaw won GFW’s Terry Mansfield Fashion Publication Award.
Terry Mansfield Fashion Publication Award
Elsewhere, at the New Designers Awards, Megan Lester from DMU's Fashion Textile Design won the Sage Automotive Passion for Textiles Award. The judges said her knit collection "showcased innovation and technical expertise". Along with the award, Megan won a £1,000 cash prize, and the opportunity to spend a day at Sage’s UK studio gaining valuable insights into the automotive textile design process.
Robyn Tilsley from Textile Design at 91视频also claimed the New Designers Laura Ashley Award. The judges said: "We love the heritage inspired arts and crafts feel, earth toned palette and how this has translated into a rounded, extremely well-developed collection.” Robyn will also receive £1,000 and a month-long freelance internship at Laura Ashley.
Professor Carolyn Hardaker, Head of the School of Fashion and Textile at 91视频said: “As one of the leading centres for the study of Fashion and Textiles , 91视频traditionally turns in a strong performance in the showcasing season, but our students have made an exceptional showing nationally this year. We are very proud of all our winners, and also of the many, many more 91视频students who were highly commended or shortlisted as finalists for awards covering all areas of our teaching from fashion design, contour fashion and footwear to textiles, communication and buying. Their work demonstrates innovation and technical skill and reflects the strength and depth of the talent we have in our staff and students here at 91视频School of Fashion and Textiles and the breadth or the courses we offer.”
Posted on Tuesday 8 July 2025