The Graduate Fashion Foundation are delighted to announce their continued partnership with YKK, the global providers of fastening solutions for creative industry.
Returning to support the future of fashion, YKK are sponsoring the Graduate Fashion Foundation Accessories Award for the eighth-year running. The GFF Accessories Award looks for a modern directional approach to the accessories arena, covering millinery, shoes, bags, belts and jewellery. Previous winners include 2021 winner Natasha Finlay from Northampton University for her range of outerwear accessories and 2019 winner Dimitri Gabellier for his footwear collection, who went on to work for Givenchy and Adidas Originals.
In the run up to Graduate Fashion Week, the foundation and YKK have also launched an online competition #TagYourYKK, to challenge GFF member university students to tag their work featuring YKK zips and components on Instagram with the hastag. For 8 weeks the best image showcasing innovation, technique and innovation with YKK products will be selected and win a cash prize as well as appear on both the YKK and OfficialGFW social channels to over 80k combined followers.
The YKK team and Ambassador Kei Kagami will be onsite at GFW this June giving graduates the opportunity to learn more on the brand and to scout talent from the catwalks and exhibitions taking place. YKK is also supporting the charities UK universities with access to free zips and components for final year students to complete their graduate collection and to help enhance the finishes to the innovative designs with high end fastenings. Additionally YKK will support the universities themselves with deadstock fastenings for the fashion degree stock cupboards allowing all year groups access to the brands offerings.
Joy Campbell, GFF Director and Head of Brand Partnerships at Graduate Fashion Foundation, said: “Inspiring the next generation of designers is a key aim for us and having YKK support Graduate Fashion Week and the Accessories Award for the eighth year is helping achieve this. The brand’s offering of support to our final year designers and our UK member universities proves every year to be a hit and the Accessories Award is a fantastic way to celebrate emerging design talent across the Accessories arena.”
Katie Doherty, Showroom Coordinator for YKK, said; “Over the last five years YKK London Showroom have been proud to sponsor GFW and the students that showcase their work. YKK has a long-standing tradition to give back to the community with its founding philosophy the ‘cycle of goodness’, where no one prospers without rendering benefit to others. Each year the student’s resilience to overcome obstacles shows persistent growth and how they are continuously dedicated to using trims innovatively is impressive. We look forward to seeing all the hard work in this year’s edition in June.”
GFW is the world’s largest event for BA Fashion talent and this year’s event will take place on the 20h – 24th June 2022 at Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross, London, with live stream content and runways shows live on www.graduatefashionweek.com.