Four Westminster students receive prestigious British Fashion Council Foundation scholarships

The BFC Foundation BA and MA Scholarships provide funding to those who have an offer from or are currently studying for a Fashion Design BA Honours or MA course at a BFC Colleges Council member university. Through its education initiatives, the BFC Foundation aims to underpin and future proof the next generation of creative talent.

Four students have been selected as recipients of the prestigious scholarships, making Westminster the second most featured university in the current cohort of scholars. All applications are assessed based on talent and need, using information provided during the application process including the applicant’s portfolio and financial circumstances. Shortlisted applications are reviewed by panels consisting of fashion educators and key industry representatives.

The BA Scholarship was awarded to Reuben Harris, a second-year student on the Fashion Design BA Honours course on Harrow Campus. Reuben’s work is an amalgamation of heritage, history and queer identity, as well as a lot of student resourcefulness. Habitually visiting India as a child, he observed the stark contrast between his hometown, Sunderland, and Mumbai. The differences in culture, customs and clothes allowed him to garner a greater understanding of himself and the world around him, which is reflected throughout his practice.

Aliyah Dankwah is another Fashion Design student who returned as a BA Scholar this year. Inspired by the diverse cultures and traditional craftsmanship within Ghana, her design aesthetic embraces her Ghanaian roots while incorporating oversized yet feminine menswear silhouettes. Fashion’s strong connection to one’s physicality and its role as a form of external communication resonates deeply with her. Through her personal experience in school, Aliyah learnt that fashion was a language her peers used to find a way to belong. She moved from a school where she felt comfortable and familiar with her environment to a new and unfamiliar school to pursue textiles, which was a turning point. Aliyah learnt from these circumstances that people grow by moving away from what they are comfortable with and learning to adapt to new environments.

Another return as a BA Scholar this year is final-year student James Rowland, who creates structural garments that transcend gendered boundaries. At the University, he has adapted traditional forms of pattern cutting to create garments that possess novel and sculptural shapes as well as strength and wearability.

The BA Final Year Scholarship was awarded to Renée-Shanel Edwards, who is a first generation British-Jamaican designer influenced by their lived experience growing up in North West London. Renée-Shanel’s Final Year BA collection titled Closure explores the Postmodernist theory in the context of Blackness. They focus on cut and texture to explore the nuances of Black masculinity and to highlight the beauty of their Caribbean experience. Renée-Shanel is also one of the four recipients who received the Education Fund as part of the mentorship programme, The Vanguard, which also runs in partnership with the BFC.

Renée-Shanel said: “There is no one way to be Black, but post-trauma Black identities have caused a resurgence of safe and familiar style codes that connect past experiences to how we present today.”

Upon receiving their scholarships, the awarded students will have access to the BFC Scholars Programme, alongside a series of events and industry workshops to support their creative development. The BFC is committed to securing and future proofing the next generation of creative talent and therefore the work of the BFC Foundation is crucial.

Robert Leach, Course Leader of the Fashion Design BA Honours course, said: “The course team and students at Westminster are indebted to the BFC and its partners for their continued support of our students and graduates, and for the thorough investigative process during application, ensuring our core values of inclusion and diversity are being upheld.  

“These bursaries and awards help immensely in helping students to build, grow and reach their full potential as young designers during their time with us and then immediately afterwards, as they take their place in the industry.”

This Scholarship directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17: Partnerships for Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Find out more about the Fashion courses at Westminster.