The GREAT Britain Campaign, the UK Government’s major international marketing campaign, has today unveiled a new initiative celebrating the enormous wealth of fashion talent nurtured by UK universities. Shot in the iconic Locarno Suite in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the video features a dozen of the country’s top young designers, models, stylists and hair and make-up artists. The legendary Dame Zandra Rhodes, Lifetime Patron of GFF and Hilary Alexander OBE, Graduate Fashion Foundations President, both play cameo roles in the piece which encourages brands to look to the UK for their next generation of hires.
Liz Truss, Secretary of State for the Department for International Trade, said:
“The UK is a global leader in the fashion industry and our talented students are the future of this sector. The industry is booming, creating 890,000 jobs and contributing £32 billion to the UK economy. There is no better place in the world for businesses to unearth the next generation of stars.”
The video will be promoted across the government’s international network in over 140 countries and will be deployed throughout 2020 at major fashion events and trade conferences.
Hilary Alexander OBE, Graduate Fashion Foundation President, commented:
“Graduate Fashion Foundation is extremely proud to be working with the GREAT Britain Campaign on such a creative opportunity, showcasing 16 exceptional young talents. Each year Graduate Fashion Week sees over 3500 exciting and innovative fashion creatives take over the Truman Brewery and the GFF, as the charity behind the event, continually look to highlight their talent throughout the year. This video campaign is a great opportunity for six of our final-year hair and make-up students and ten selectfashion and styling graduates to work with industry and showcase their talent to the world. These young creatives are at the forefront of a generation who will revolutionise the way we design, manufacture and wear our garments. Whether it is addressing the world’s plastic crisis or exploring new scientific techniques, our universities and students are setting the standard for a sustainable future.”
Graduate Fashion Week, now in its 27th year, is the recognised showcase for upcoming stars in design, creative direction, marketing, communication, photography, illustration and all aspects of the modern business of fashion, from close to 90 UK and international
universities. Attracting headhunters, recruiters and talent scouts, it operates as a global launch-pad for thousands of fashion graduates, bridging the gap between education and employment in the fashion industry. The charity’s patrons include Christopher Bailey MBE, Victoria Beckham OBE, Dame Vivienne Westwood DME RDI, Nick Knight OBE, Nadja Swarovski, Diane Von Furstenberg and Dame Zandra Rhodes.
The film was produced by DUCK Productions who tackled the brief by developing a circular concept with a central roving camera. Keeping the action within one space in this way allowed Director Becky Hutner to maximise the time on-site to rehearse ten detailed scenarios that she developed in tandem with the young creatives.
Meanwhile, Director of Photography Curt Taylor came up with an innovative lighting approach for this Grade I Listed Building, which included a pole-mounted Jem ball key light, lightweight Astera tubes and period lamps.