Harrogate College BA (hons) Fashion student Berenice Gilmore has been crowned as Bridal Buyer’s Best Student Bridal Designer of 2016, at the glamourous awards ceremony held on Monday 12 September 2016.
The Harrogate Bridal Show held at the Harrogate International Centre is the Bridal industry’s largest trade show with the three day event welcoming over 170 exhibitors showcasing in excess of 350 brands, including international and national designers. The Harrogate Bridal Show is at the forefront of bridal buying and features the biggest trends for next season.
Harrogate College fashion student Berenice Gilmore was crowned Best Student Designer 2016 for designing a stunning garment following the ‘Birds of Paradise’ brief.
With fashion icon Wayne Hemmingway as the event’s MC, the atmosphere in the HIC was electric. Competition judges Susi Rogal, Editor of Bridal Buyer magazine and Amanda Bradwell, CEO of Eternity Bride, had their work cut out for them as designs from higher education institutions including Harrogate, Hull, Birmingham and Sheffield were all featured in the final.
Another Harrogate College fashion student Holly Greenwood, who was also in the final for the 2016 Clothes Show Live Young Designer competition, was congratulated and placed as runner up with her beautiful structured gown featuring her own fabric pattern design.
Annabel Smith, Programme Leader of Fashion at Harrogate College, said:
I am an incredibly proud tutor to not only have two fashion students in the final of this prestigious competition but also a winner; it’s fantastic. All of their hard work, effort and energy spent working on their designs over the summer has paid off and they’ve produced two very stunning garments.
Harrogate College is proud to have had a finalist in the Bridal Buyer Best Student Designer competition every year since 2004, and having had three spectacular winners.
Debra Forsythe- Conroy, Harrogate College Principal, said:
What a fantastic achievement for Harrogate College’s fashion students. Their designs are truly breath -taking and they absolutely deserve to have had the opportunity to showcase their garments at the Harrogate Bridal Show. Congratulations to Berenice on winning the award, to Holly and of course, to course tutor Annabel Smith for her support and guidance.
Hull College BA (hons) Fashion students Rochelle Flores, Zoe Hiatt, Leoretta Manyike and Aimee Dent were also selected from hundreds of entrants to compete in this year’s final.
