A creative from Milton Keynes has completed her time at the University of Northampton on a high, after winning at the most coveted student fashion awards ceremony in the UK.
Natasha Finlay was an award winner at Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) – an annual showcase of the cream of the UK’s university fashion talent.
The Textiles for Fashion student scooped the Accessories Award after creating a textile print collection inspired by the odd and weird dreams she experienced during the pandemic.
Her collection was also chosen for the GFW finale – the Best of Graduate Fashion Week show.
“It feels amazing to win the award,” said Natasha, who is 22-years-old.
“I am absolutely over the moon that the judges loved my work as much as I do and it makes me feel really confident to think they see something in me that was worth the win.”
She added: “I think the originality of my concept and my designs really appealed to the judges. Also, all my work has been backed up with a lot of research I had done for future trends and I think I managed to design accessories which embodied the future of fashion. I think the fact that I didn’t hold back from my design also excited them.”
Looking back on her three years at Northampton, Natasha said: “I have learnt so much since being at uni, not only in myself but as a designer. I have definitely grown as a person and realised that being yourself is so important and, as long and you love with you do, it will show through your work. I have enjoyed every minute of it, even if it has been a hard experience.”
Senior Lecturer in Fashion, Jane Mills, added: “We are incredibly proud of Natasha, who was rightly singled out by the judges for her work.
“A Graduate Fashion Week award is a huge deal. They are recognised by industry and if you win one, it’s confirmation that you are one of the very best graduate designers in the United Kingdom.
“We have a proud track record of GFW winners, over the years, and it’s particularly pleasing to see us pick up three awards after what has been a difficult year, due to the lockdowns.
“All of our students have worked extra hard, and it’s satisfying to see that by studying with us, they have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and leave us ready for industry.”
