[Images via Catwalk Queen and Westfield Style Notes].
I am a complete sucker for new design talent, so when the team at New Look decided to run a competition for students at the London College of Fashion to design footwear, I was more than a little excited. As an LCF alumnus, though mine was a journalistic course, I can understand why the store turned to this university for the cream of the crop; you are surrounded by fashion-obsessed and highly driven people, and it's not the kind of institution that leaves you uninspired.
The New Look competition has highlighted four students, three of whom were runners-up, and the winner was Chang Seok Ko with a series of denim-based creations which hark back to the 80s/90s distressed denim revival. These are not pictured as (if I'm completely honest) they're not really my cup of tea, and I'm not convinced that denim shoes will make a long-lasting wardrobe contribution, though obviously I wish him well and he is undoubtedly going to make his mark in the industry. I have to say that I was much more drawn to the other three entrants' pieces, as seen above, and I particularly felt that the work of Ruth Jones (not the one who wrote Gavin and Stacey) was very strong. She is the woman behind the chunky wedges, pictured in both black and primary coloured hues above. Jones said she was influenced by the circus when creating her shoes, which are sturdy but decidedly fun and happen to feature this season's scalloped edging details. The other finalists opted for more sedate and classic styles in neutral tones of white and nude, which will surely prove popular with customers - that pearl trim is very Kate Middleton - but may not have the impact of Jones' show-stoppers. I look forward to seeing future collaborations such as this, which show just what Britain's design graduates have to offer.
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