At the FatFace flagship on the Kings Road in London, GFW ambassador Christopher Raeburn and Rob Jones of Teatum Jones joined the FatFace team to sift through over 100 applications for the FatFace Graphic T-Shirt Competition.
So what were our judges looking for in the winning entry? “I’m looking that the designer has an understanding of the brand and it’s heritage,” says Rob Jones. Innovation was also a huge part of the criteria, he explained. “There has to be a push into something new and fresh. It’s not just creating what the FatFace design team would do, it needs to add something different.”
Emma Shaw design director at FatFace, Rob Jones from Teatum Jones and Christopher Raeburn
“For me it’s really important that we give students a voice,”says Christopher. “This competition is amazing for visibility and it’s brilliant that FatFace are giving that platform to students. Ultimately, it’s an amazing opportunity to support young talent coming through, but then also to see the breadth of skill on offer.”
One key message that students were addressing this year was sustainability, an aspect of FatFace’s business that is rarely publicised. “They’re doing a lot of work behind the scenes on sustainability and the thought process that goes into their work, but they’re not shouting about it,” says Rob Jones.
This was also a drawcard for Christopher, whose namesake label has sustainability at its core. “Because so much of the work I do for my brand is about responsible design, and pushing the dial for the industry, that’s really what I’m hoping to support through this process,” he says. “It’s been amazing to see the applicants this year who are thinking about the natural world and the way they design.”
The winners of the FatFace T-Shirt Design Competition will be announced at Graduate Fashion Week 2019, so stay tuned for the big announcement!