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UEL student Susanna Yi wins 'Best of British' Award at Graduate Fashion Week

Friday 15 June 2012

GFW

The Best of British competition was created to celebrate 2012 and the exciting year with the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The competition was opened up to 2nd year students to research the local area around their UK University and design three outfits to represent this. Susanna was inspired by the contrast between the historic old dock buildings in the East End with the new architecture and contemporary feel of riverside apartments and the business district of Canary Wharf.

She said, “London is a fashion metropolis and my education at UEL has been amazing - the opportunities offered to me have been second to none. Having moved from Germany, I have been living here for two years and am delighted to have won this award. The East End and London 2012 have provided me with wonderful inspiration for my ideas and designs.”

Susanna Yi will now get the opportunity to work with George at Asda in-house designers to see her winning range turned into a collection for George, as well as enjoying a £1,000 cash prize. She follows in the footsteps of UEL Designer Le Thuy Le Thi, who won the Graduate Fashion Week ‘People’s Choice Award’ last year. She worked with the team at George to create a dress, which was voted for by the viewers of ITV’s This Morning.

GFW historically provides a platform for the future of fashion-design celebrating its 21st anniversary as the world’s largest platform for the design talent of tomorrow. UEL students have been particularly praised by the fashion industry for their innovative designs and exciting showcases with celebrities such as Donna Air gracing the front row of their catwalk show and acclaimed Fashion Journalist Hilary Alexandra (Daily Telegraph) praising upcoming designers.

Caryl Court, UEL Senior Lecturer at the School of Arts and Digital Industries (ADI) Fashion Design course, said: "This is the first time George at Asda has run a second year competition and I am delighted that Susanna has won it.  She is committed and hard working and really deserved her success. Winning competitions is not only good for the individual students, but great for Fashion at UEL, as it inspires the other students to showcase their collections at GFW too. A great inspiration all round."

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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