YESTERDAY saw the start of Fashion Week at New College – a showcase of talent across a variety of different subjects.

Although the college has held fashion shows in the past, it is the first year a week has been dedicated to demonstrate and exhibit students’ work across a range of subjects including photography, art and textiles.

Head of Art at the college, Karen Pau, said: “It’s a really good opportunity to showcase the amazing talent we have here at New College.

“We had the Fashion Shows each year but we wanted to extended it to more classes to show the students’ work.

“They all work so hard we really wanted to show it off.”

As part of the week students taking the BTEC in Media Makeup at the college took part in an activity based around the theme of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with makeup lecturer Phil Liston Olga Prokopenkova was one of the students taking part in the workshop.

The 17-year-old Latvian said: “When I first came here and took a course in media makeup I thought it was going to be very hard, but when I started it I realised that you don’t have to have artistic work to be great at this.

“I think Fashion Week is a great opportunity to share our work with someone else and to encourage others to think about taking part in a course like it as well.”

The rest of the week will feature a number of workshops, speakers, activities and shows which are open to the public to visit and explore.

Visitors can browse a special art exhibition, showcasing student work from the fashion and textiles and art departments today, while they can also speak to representatives from a number of universities offering Higher Education advice and information on their Fashion and Textiles and Creative Arts courses from 10am to 2pm.

Both today and tomorrow visitors can also enjoy a cream tea and cake from the vintage cafe in the college restaurant, and tomorrow fashion and textiles industry experts Alison Willoughby and Jill Flower will be running workshops for students and members of the public.

The annual Fashion Show will take centre stage on Thursday and Friday in the Phoenix Theatre.

Matinee performances of the Fashion Show will also be available to schools at 1pm on Thursday and Friday.

For Fashion Show and workshop tickets call Heather Drewett on 01793 732853 between 9am and 3pm or visit the cash office by the main reception desk.

For more details on Fashion Week please visit our website www.newcollege.ac.uk/fashion-week.