Fashion students at Kingston University will be competing against top UK fashion schools for a paid three-month internship with the Haute Couture fashion designer Chloé.
Lisa Moravec
The chosen students received a briefing in early December, where they were told that the theme for the competition is ‘flou’ and that designs should include soft tailoring to create silhouette.
“They want to see some embroidery and textures. They know exactly what they are looking for,” said Lucinda Popp, 22, one of the chosen KU students.
Only the best
The best students were chosen by their lecturers to compete after handing in their university coursework.
“They sent our actual sketch-books to Somerset House,” said Victoria Smith, 22, who has already won an internship at H&M in Stockholm where she worked on the new spring collection.
“The first round of selection will be on Friday and they are going to interview at the end of December.”
The competition begins
The competition was set up by the British Fashion House due to Chloé’s 60th anniversary.
The two fashion students are both very fond of the fashion label.
“I’ve always like Chloé,” said Lucinda.
Ten BA and five Master students are competing against other famous fashion schools, such as St. Martins and London College of Fashion, all over in the country.
“Competing against Master students makes us work harder,” said third year student Lucinda.
Both students won a paid internship at H&M in Stockholm in summer. They worked on the new spring collection and will include some of their designs.
Victoria worked on new light blouses and trousers in the modern classical department.
“I was being treated as a normal worker,” said Lucinda about her internship at Banana Republic in New York.
Elinor Renfrew, the course director of the BA fashion course, said that KU graduates had gained full-time design positions globally, including at H&M in Sweden, Massimo Dutti in Spain, Dirk Bikkenberg in Italy and Abercrombie & Fitch in the USA.
Amelia Jones 
Hermione Marszalek