Professor Helen Storey wins Summit Recognition Award

Professor Helen Storey has received a Summit Recognition Award in the category Outstanding Contribution to Fashion and Luxury Education.

The Summit Recognition Awards celebrate leadership, innovation, influence and service to the industry, acknowledging individuals whose work has made a meaningful contribution to preparing the next generation for the fashion and luxury sector. Helen’s work was selected by the Summit Chairs for its contribution, integrity, originality and alignment with the Summit's mission.

Through fashion, craft, science and storytelling, her collaborations, delivered through her role as the first UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Designer in Residence, explore and address 2 of the defining challenges of our time: climate change and global displacement. Crucially, her work has paved the way for new kinds of co-created curriculum, facilitating reciprocal relationships between design students, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and local Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in refugee camp settings.

Reflecting on the award, Professor Helen Storey said:

“It is an honour to receive this award for 'Outstanding Contribution to Fashion and Luxury Education.' For many years, I have been working with others to connect disparate parts of the world together through fashion and design, stretching what fashion can do, to positively impact lives with and for others. Most significantly, bringing design students and refugee makers into each other’s worlds has surfaced new knowledge and experience for us all - giving new societal purpose to the next generation of designers and innovative livelihood opportunities to refugee makers from the global south.”

Some of Helen’s work includes Dzaleka Arts Lab’s project Pockets of Love. Dzaleka Arts Lab was formed by the first group of refugee makers Helen met in 2023 at Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi. Pockets of Love was made in response to a local scam, where a trader sold the makers only the top half of garments to work with. Each pocket contains a handwritten message, giving students an insight into the makers' lives in the camp.

In response to Pockets of Love, MA Fashion Textiles Technologies students created work to be returned to Dzaleka. The students crafted handmade pieces using only found materials and techniques that do not rely on access to electricity, running water, internet or mobile data.

“Overall, I gained so much from this project. It challenged me creatively, introduced me to new ways of working and allowed me to think about how textiles can create meaningful connections between people. [...] the experience was incredibly rewarding and reinforced the value of using textiles as a way to share skills, stories and opportunities.” - Emily, LCF student, MA Fashion Textiles Technologies.

"Through working in Syrian and African refugee camps, I have seen that, in our deeply unequal world, luxury means something different to everyone. Owning a piece of couture for one person, is someone else's safe access to clean water and working between the two extremes has been life-changing. What unites us is knowing what beauty, craft and skill can do, not just for the important preservation of heritage, identity, or economy, but for the human spirit itself.” - Professor Helen Storey.

The Summit Recognition Award highlights Professor Helen Storey's ongoing commitment to expanding the role of fashion education in addressing global challenges through collaboration, creativity and social impact.

• Read more LCF Stories
• Find out more about Professor Helen Storey
• Find out more about MA Fashion Textiles Technologies