Fashion Awareness Direct, FAD, is a creative charity which helps youngsters leave their mark on the fashion industry, by giving them the tools and teaching them the skills they need to succeed. Vauxhall Fashion Scout showcased the twenty-two finalists from Fashion Futures 2, with a catwalk show late Tuesday night, but it was in the presentation hall where all the hard work and behind-the-scenes action was displayed. The champagne reception allowed all of the guests to browse through sketchbooks filled with illustrations, inspirations and the design process all of the young creative went through.
The finalists were all picked by a panel of industry experts; including Naomi Dominique (Design Director, River Island), Francesca Muston (Retail Editor, WGSN), Michael Tomczak (Head of Design, John Lewis), Lesley DeFreitas (Lecturer, Central Saint Martins) and Maria Alvarez (Executive Director, FAD). Ten students from North-London, ten from South-London and three from Salford were able to go onto the summer school at Central Saint Martin’s and their big catwalk debut at Vauxhall Fashion Scout. Fashion Futures 2 is open to 16-18 year olds living in London, and teaches them a fun but realistic insight into what it means to work within the fashion industry after completing their education.