St Gall, 1966

St Gall, 1966

In 1966 Kingston Fashion students went to St Gall, Switzerland as defending champions for the 7th Youth Fashion Design Contest on 7th March. They were awarded the highest points for 6 out of 10 garments shown, and declared winners of the contest, and generating a lot of press headlines proud of British fashion prowess. Drapers & Fashion Weekly took it as evidence that ‘young British designers are leading the fashion world’[1], whilst the Surrey Comet claimed they had ‘established beyond any doubt that they are among the world’s leading up-and-coming designers’, noting it was ‘a triumph for Britain as well as the 12 students – nine girls and three boys – who competed, and a second feather in her cap for Mrs Daphne Brooker, head of the college’s fashion department’[2] The local newspaper even ran the following cartoon marking the win:

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Photos from the trip document the contest, and indicate some of the extra-curricular activities such as a dinner menu and a visit to a shoe museum:

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[1] Mary Joyce, ‘Young London’s Look wins again’, Drapers & Fashion Weekly, March 18th 1966

[2] ‘Art Students Do It Again’, Surrey Comet, March 19th 1966