Fresh From The Production Line: LCF teams up with New Look

A few weeks back I was invited to view a very exciting collaboration between London College of Fashion students and high street retailer New Look. Aptly called the Master’s Collection, this unique and highly creative capsule range of footwear is set to launch in stores both nationwide and online from the middle of May, making it accessible to all.

Whilst providing a highly covetable platform for four students studying MA Fashion Footwear, Master’s Collection is also a competition which has seen the overall winner, Chang (Ralf) Seok Ko gain the opportunity to travel overseas to see his designs produced by one of New Look’s suppliers.

Over a year ago in March 2010, New Look set London College of Fashion students on the internationally renowned Cordwainers MA Fashion Footwear course the task of designing a range of shoes with a view to one or more of the styles being selected to comprise the highly exclusive six style Master’s Collection.

Judged by a select panel - which reads like a who’s who of British fashion - New Look’s Barbara Horspool (Group Design Director), Malcolm Collins, (Director for Footwear and Accessories) Fiona McGuire, (Senior Footwear Designer)and Helen Bleazard (Head of Buying – Footwear and Accessories) were joined by LCF Professor Roy Peach (Dean of the School of Graduate Studies). Also sitting on the panel and providing a critical designer eye were famed British footwear designer Jonathan Kelsey and everyone’s favourite womenswear designer Giles Deacon, who has direct experience in working with New Look himself designing the Gold by Giles capsule collection for the past three years.

Overall winner Chang (Ralf) Seok Ko surpassed himself producing three of the winning designs (a flat sandal, a high open toe mule and a mid heel strappy sandal), with runners up Ruth Jones, Adriana Iurascu and Kim Kwang producing one exquisite design each.