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MA Fashion Futures alumna among the semi-finalists for the Redress Design Award 2019

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ARC Published date
24 April 2019

Anna Schuster, LCF alumna who graduated from MA Fashion Futures in 2018, has been announced as one of the semi-finalists for the Redress Design Award 2019, the accolade that recognises the efforts from designers around the world working to tackle the environmental challenges of the fashion industry. Her collection, titled Anna Meets X, is competing against other 29 designers to become one of the 10 finalists who will be flying to Hong Kong later this year to showcase their collections and take part in an intensive week of workshops focused on sustainable fashion.

Anna started creating the concept for her collection during her masters project, which she took as an opportunity for her "to discover a design process that restructured the traditional way of designing." She took inspiration for working collaboratively and exchanging ideas with others:

As a designer I wanted to work with people, materials and situations that surrounded me. As a researcher I wanted to enhance the design process and build design systems where every action creates its own loop.

The MA Fashion futures alumna describes Anna Meets X as a collection that brings different crafts and people together, creating a story told through fashion: "I was hand-knitting with a group of women from the retirement home, observing a watchmaker refurbishing vintage watches and discovered analog screen printing with a graphic designer to use garments as communication tools. Each of those exchanges inspired me in sourcing materials, developing designs and sewing the 3D garments," she explains.

Anna incorporates innovative sustainable practices in her designs, working with deadstock fabrics, leftover yarns and second-hand clothing, at the same time as creating garments that fit multiple sizes and can easily be exchanged or passed on through. For her, this collection is a personal statement about what she believes the fashion industry should be:

This project was a journey beyond trends and aesthetics. I want to bring back fashion that supports us in our daily lives but, at the same time, does not harm our environment. The most important thing as a designer of the 21st century is to reuse what is already out there and to not waste new resources.

You can vote for Anna's collection and nominate her for the Redress Design Award 2019 People’s Choice. The voting closes on 6 May.