Leeds Light Night: East Meets West

Last night, I was lucky enough to be invited as a "VIP guest" to East Meets West a fashion show hosted at Leeds civic hall. The beautiful venue, not usually open to the public, was transformed into a catwalk and exhibition space showcasing the best of UK and Chinese design.

This event was a rare opportunity to see a collection of garments made using Hainsworth cloth all together under one roof. Fabric from the Hainsworth woollen mill, which has been running in Leeds since 1783, is used to create iconic garments such as the Royal Guard Uniforms and outfits worn by the Royal Family. One dress on display, courtesy of Sara Madderson, is a design that has been worn by Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. Alongside this collection, the exhibition also featured designs by six Leeds College of Art students, and Chinese designer Zheng Qing'er of Qing Yi Apparel. It was a rare opportunity to get up close and examine the craftsmanship behind each piece.

After all the canapes and champagne - the real focus of the evening turned to the catwalk shows, which created a magical atmosphere in the Civic Hall as models floated down the catwalk in Qing's dresses. 

Overall, it was an enjoyable evening and it was fun to get involved with Light Night and not something necessarily graphic design related but my other passion in life, fashion.