Blackpool's rock rebels inspire young fashion designer's collection

Amy Vanderwal, 23, is next week launching her first collection of menswear for superstore Sainsbury’s.

The former Montgomery High and Blackpool Sixth Form student was spotted in her graduation show in London and snapped up by the superstore to come up with a range of clothing for the men’s department.

Amy said for her final graduation collection at Nottingham Trent University she used he style and attitude of the punks at the Rebellion festival at the Winter Gardens.

She said: “I showed my collection at London’s Graduate Fashion Week to industry professionals and went on to win the ‘TU Clothing Menswear Scholarship Award’ out of hundreds of hopeful graduates.

"Winning this scholarship meant that I got a year-long scholarship designing my own fashion-forward collection for TU clothing at Sainsbury’s, all under my own name, whilst being mentored by British menswear designer, Oliver Spencer.

“Oliver is a high end menswear designer with his own shop in London and it was so valuable for me to get his perspective and advice as well as from Sainsbury’s.”

She said she was heavily inspired by 80’s punk and traveller culture with mismatched fabrics and clashing patterns and colour having seen the Rebellion festival many times while working at Topshop near the Winter Gardens.

“The collection includes statement pieces such as Punk slogan T-shirts with slogans such as ‘Punk’s Not Dead’ and ‘Come As You Are, Wear What You Want’ on the front as well as plenty of plaids, pinstripes and distressed/bleached denim.”

Amy’s summer collection is followed by a winter collection in September.

Amy said the scholarship was aimed at bringing new ideas into the high street designs.

She added: “Although it is very different to what Sainsbury’s would usually sell to their TU customers, the intention of this scholarship is to hopefully bring in a new fashion-forward customer into Sainsbury’s stores.

"My main aspiration from all of this is to have real punks wearing my collection as it was so heavily inspired by them in the first place! To me that would be such a huge honour and achievement. As requested by my self, both launches will also be sold in the Blackpool store opposite the train station.”