Student fashion designers were told this week that taking part in the Irish Fashion Innovation Awards can make a significant difference to their careers, especially when applying for further education courses in fashion design.
Orla Moore, a fashion design teacher at Galway Technical Institute at Fr Griffin Road, was commenting as four of the institute’s students prepare to take part in the Irish Fashion Innovation Awards next week.
This is the fourth successive year of participation by the Galway college at the prestigious competition for aspiring designers.
FETAC Level 5 students Claudia Taheny and Aisling Kerr and Level 6 students Sabrina Fallon and Fiona Bulfin will follow in the footsteps of previous participants such as Alexandra Carlos and Laura Jane Halton who entered the awards while students at the college.
This year’s participants are being asked to design their favourite dress. Claudia Taheny is inspired by travel and designed her own fabric which she had printed.
Fiona Bulfin says that being chosen to represent GTI in the Fashion Innovation Awards means a great deal to her.
“Being able to showcase my work and having the publicity along with that has given me a real confidence boost regarding design and my capabilities.”
The four Galway based students will compete against students from Limerick Institute of Technology, Ulster College of Art and Design and the National College of Art and Design for the title of Student Designer of the Year 2013 which is sponsored by Galway City and County Enterprise Board.
Orla Moore says GTI is proud that its students have been selected to participate in this national competition for the fourth successive year.
“We also know from Alexandra Carlos, who is currently studying design at the London College of Fashion, that participation in the Irish Fashion Innovation Awards was a key factor in her gaining her place at the top London college.”
“The Irish Fashion Innovation Awards is always the highlight of the fashion calender at GTI along with our Fashion Fiesta.”
For more information or to buy tickets for the event contact (091 ) 384350 or log on to www.goldenegg.ie/events or search Irish Fashion Innovation Awards on Facebook.
