Meet Levi Warren-Howard, Culture and Heritage Award Winner at GFW22. Levi studied Fashion Design at Northumbria University.

How do you feel about winning a GFW22 award?

Excited and proud!

What was the inspiration starting point for your award-winning FMP?

Mixed feelings about my thick curly hair come from the attention it provides, being in school hearing 鈥渢ie your hair back鈥� and 鈥渕ove out of way鈥� because my hair was 鈥渄istracting鈥�. When I was younger people would often shake their hand on my head. My mum would tell them it is inappropriate to touch me and I didn鈥檛 like it. Being stopped and being asked to touch my hair or even worse people not asking made me tie me hair up most of my life, to hopefully limiting unwanted attention.

One upsetting time that sticks with me. I was walking up stairs and a man grabbed my hair saying 鈥淚 like your hair鈥� and pulled it, pulling me backwards and stumbling backwards on the stairs. I no longer enjoy going out through the fear it will happen again.

It is nice to hear how beautiful it is but the contrast of questions and constant touching is dehumanising. Having to deal with these interactions made me want to understand what people find interesting when they see my hair, I found out through asking others to 鈥渄raw my hair鈥�.

My own experience with my hair and wanting to connect with others through their hair stories. I made my collection to enlighten people on what it is like having Black Hair.

What skills did you learn and develop during the production of your FMP?

Conveying the concept between me learning how to manage my curly hair, and controlling the tube shapes I created. This meant spending a lot of time working on a mannequin creating moving silhouettes. 3D design has been a big part of my collection a lot of garments construction had to be hand sewn on the stand.

Personal design handwriting, my final year gave me the freedom to find who I was as a designer, my design style and my design process. It brought me confidence to know where I sit as a designer.

Concept development. Although staying focused on Black Hair, my concept grew as I learnt more about it. There were so many different paths the collection could have gone down as there is so much information, history and meaning behind not only the hair styles but the accessories too.

What were some challenges that you faced in producing your FMP and how did you overcome these?

Making sure my collection has the story and impact I needed it to, in order to enlighten people on the importance, history and feeling of having Black Hair. Through research such as: finding out other hair stories, the history of different hair styles, my own hair stories/ experiences and finding out how others see my hair. I found a way to include as many parts of my research as possible and still create a cohesive collection.

Creating clothing from hair at first seemed difficult, as I had no garment references but I found a way. I did this by firstly looking at all of my research and how it could convert to garments, I did this through collaging. From this I narrowed down textural features from different parts of Black hair, including my own. Once I created the interactive, hairy, textured fabric I then began to work on the idea of contrast from my concept. Matching contrasting fabrics and using their characteristics to decide what garments would suit the fabrics. I continued to create my final collection.

Are there any messages or major themes in your FMP that you want people to take away? If so, how did you choose to communicate with them?

This Collection was designed to tell a complex story of my own black hair and enlighten people what it is like having black hair. People touching my hair without invitation feels intrusive and raises issues around entitlement, power and ownership. While I do not think harm is meant when these interactions happen, the perception is different for me.

This fashion range has been created to celebrate the beauty of black hair: interpreting it鈥檚 form and appeal in through fabrics, informed by my understanding of what people find interesting when they see my hair, through an experiment of asking others to draw my hair.

The looks are styled with tall head pieces inspired by spiritual history of height in hair, and the bags inspired by and referencing, the iconic comb as a symbol of pride.

The contrast between beauty and ownership through these transactions have been portrayed in my work though contrasting, shine fabrics and matte fabrics. As well as the contrast in control though the collection. Using soft satins taken from the silk/ satin bonnets used to protect my hair, contrasting this with matte fabrics cotton drills and twills used to show how strong hair is.

What is an aspect of the fashion industry that you want to help improve or have a positive impact on?

During my research for my dissertation (How Is Black Hair Portrayed to society?), I learnt a lot about how natural black hair has shown to be unprofessional in the work place. This is an area I hope to improve, I personally don't feel like hair should be a deciding aspect of employment. Not only natural hair but black hair styles should be embraced and should be a personal choice, without bringing any fear of being seen as unprofessional.

What form does your FMP take? Is it a collection of clothing, book, presentation, etc? If relevant, how did you source the materials for the project?

I created a six look, AW23, Womenswear collection. I designed all six looks and made two of them. I also made the styling which accompanied the two looks, these included a belt, a bonnet bag, a day comb bag, a night comb bag, two different headpieces and a large comb which was laser cut at my university. I Had some dead-stock fabrics donated, these can be seen in my toiles, final first look skirt and the inner of first look bonnet bag. The accessories bags were made from left over fabrics from the collection, one fabric of which was donated. Other fabrics which make up the collection I sourced from fabric shops in Newcastle, Huddersfield and London.

What are your plans for the near future (further study/ internship/ work?) now that you've finished your BA?

After four years in university and with nearly 2 years experience in industry, I am ready to find a job in the design industry. Aside from this I am working on a book which further explains my concept, decisions and collection. This book will spread the message of my collection and enlighten people about Black Hair.