Success Stories - UEL’s Rising Stars of Fashion
Bunmi Olaye
It’s hard to believe that Bunmi Olaye’s Matriachy collection was first shown at Graduate Fashion Week just this time last year, having accomplished more in those twelve months than many aspiring designers manage in a whole career. Since establishing luxury fashion and lifestyle brand with her partner Francis Udom, she has caught the attention of everyone from A-list celebrities to world leaders to both the fashion and mainstream media, picking up numerous awards along the way including recently being chosen to represent Africa at New York fashion week by Arise magazine. It is testament to her incredible rise in status as a designer that she was chosen as one of just two fashion pundits for ITV’s live coverage of arguably the fashion event of the decade, the Royal Wedding.
Tracey Bartlett
Tracey Bartlett has enjoyed a remarkable degree of success since graduating from the University of East London in 2003. Now Senior Womenswear Designer at iconic online fashion store ASOS, her creative talents were first recognised when she won the FAD (Fashion Awareness Direct) graduate fashion competition at London Fashion Week in 2002. Competing against the most talented fashion students from across the UK, she describes the competition as a ‘brilliant platform’, giving her ‘unprecedented exposure’. Winning the competition also lead to a work placement with much sought-after designer Elspeth Gibson, whose clients include everyone from Hollywood stars such as Cate Blanchett and Uma Thurman to members of the royal family. Since graduating from UEL Tracey has had various freelance jobs, worked on London Fashion Week shows and with high street stores, she describes her role at ASOS as 'frenetic but fun'.
Lucy Johnson
Lucy Johnson follows hot on the heels of Tracey Bartlett having herself reached the finals of the Fashion Awareness Direct competition at London Fashion Week this year. The competition, which featured just fifteen fashion students' work from the thousands studying the subject across the UK, was described by Vogue as 'an undeniable springboard into the fashion industry'. As if to demonstrate UEL’s undeniable presence and influence in the fashion industry, one of the judges of the event was Tracey. What sets Lucy apart is that she is one of the few menswear design students to have reached this level of recognition. Lucy has had an internship with international label, Qasimi, for the past two years and hopes to gain another internship when she graduates.
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