Design show backed by Gucci highlights emerging talent

Seven graduates from Northumbria University have made the shortlist of an international design competition supported by Gucci.

The Global Design Graduate Show 2021 is an online showcase which gives emerging creatives the chance to get feedback on their work from a panel of industry experts from the world of art and design.

The show was first launched last year after the Covid-19 pandemic led to cancellation of the traditional end of year exhibitions and showcase events for creative students. The shows are well attended by industry representatives looking for the very best new talent and are key to supporting graduates to gain employment or launch their business ideas.

This year, more than 5,000 students uploaded their end of year projects, making the event the biggest ever online showcase of graduating creatives worldwide.

Those taking part in the 2021 show which is organised by ARTSTHREAD, a leading digital platform for emerging designers and artists, were invited to submit their work into four categories:

• Fashion, accessories and textiles
• Digital, visual communication and film
• Product, architecture and interiors
• Fine art, photography and craft

Entries were then reviewed and shortlisted by an independent panel of expert judges from organisations including GQ magazine, the British Fashion Council, Nike, Apple, Vogue Italia, IDEO, Herman Miller, the Design Museum, the American Craft Council and trend forecasters WGSN.

From Northumbria, the shortlist includes Fashion Design and Marketing graduates, Conor Mclaughlin, Beth Cadbury, Victoria Archer and Sara Carney.

They are joined by Graphic Design graduates, Chloe Briggs and Catarina Felicio, and Design for Industry graduate, Phoebe Lewis.

The projects submitted by the Northumbria entrants range from a forward-thinking menswear brand influenced by predictions around the impact of climate change, to innovative packaging for a Vitamin D brand inspired by Ancient Greece.

Sarah Walton, Programme Leader for Fashion Design and Marketing, paid tribute to the hard work of those who made the shortlist.

“We are very proud to see so many of our graduates shortlisted for this exciting opportunity with ARTSTHREAD, supported by Gucci, and we wish them all the best of luck,” she said.

“As a team, we have been continually impressed by their creative vision and ambition. We have watched them grow throughout their courses into confident graduate designers, ready for whatever creative challenges come their way as they start their exciting careers and we are thrilled that their work has caught the attention of judges from so many of the creative world’s leading brands and organisations.”

A public vote to determine the winning entries is now open, with individuals encouraged to vote for their favourite artist or designer from each area within the four categories.

Votes can be cast here until Wednesday 13 October and winners will be announced on Monday 18 October.