University Fashion students assist graduate shoe designer Kerrie Luft at London Fashion Week

​​​Six students from the University of Northampton have had the opportunity to experience the world of fashion first hand by assisting shoe designer Kerrie Luft during London Fashion Week.

Kerrie, who graduated from the University of Northampton in 2005, launched her own footwear brand after working alongside Bruno Frisoni at the House of Vivier in Paris. She uses computerised technology to design her shoes, primarily focusing on the heels and was the winner of the Fashion Fringe’s Accessories Prize in 2011.

Grace Withers commented: “I attended London Fashion Week on the 15 February and assisted Kerrie on her footwear stand talking to buyers, bloggers, and suppliers about the business side of her collection, such as the retail and wholesale prices. It was a great opportunity that pushed me to do something I had no previous experience in and gave me the chance to get involved with a major fashion event. I was also able to look around the rest of the stands and see what else was happening.”

Charday Patterson said: “I worked on the Kerrie Luft stand on 17 February and my role was to promote the brand by interacting with the buyers, visitors, magazine editors and writers. Overall I found the experience fun and inspiring and I learned a lot about the industry and got to see some amazing things. As well as working on the Kerrie Luft stand, I was able to go and have a look around other stands and outside of the building where all the bloggers were. I loved how the people were dressed as they all stood out and had their own individual style which I found very inspiring and brave. I took a few pictures of some people that caught my eye with their funky style.”

Natalie Alexandrou, recounted: “Working with Kerrie Luft at London Fashion Week was a amazing experience. I was able to work on her stand promoting the season’s collection, talking to buyers, press and stylists. It was a great insight in seeing how designers showcase their work off the catwalk.”
Jane Mills, Senior Lecturer in Fashion at the University of Northampton, commented: “It’s fantastic to see highly successful University of Northampton graduates like Kerrie offering our current final year fashion and footwear students the opportunity to be involved in events such as London Fashion Week. The students were thrilled to be selected and they really enjoyed the experience of working with Kerrie on her stand. The students were able to use the opportunity to network by talking to fashion and footwear designers in the London Fashion Week designer showroom, talk to fashion buyers and the fashion press. Kerrie was amazing and was able to offer some really good sound advice about her own personal experiences after graduation and entering the hugely competitive industry of fashion.”

London Fashion Week ran from Friday 14 February and was based at Somerset House in London.​

Photo: Kerrie Luft with Charday Patterson