Manx designer Molly Kathryn Wade, graduate of the London College of Fashion has won the Only Natural design 2024 Apparel Award for her visionary Graduate Collection, 'Skin Story’ under the entry ‘Shenn vyrneen aym' (An old love of mine).
Only Natural hosted an awards lunch at the U.S. Embassy in London, celebrating its category winners and revealing the winners of the highly-anticipated overall competition prizes. As well as winning the Apparel Award, Molly was also awarded the title of Overall Fashion Winner.
Kerry Brozyna, President of the Leather & Hide Council of America, praised the initiative: “We are proud to support the Only Natural competition, which showcases the creativity and innovation of the next generation of designers who are committed to sustainability. This competition highlights the endless possibilities that natural materials offer. We hope it will inspire more young designers to think sustainable and drive these practices in the wider industry.”
The competition attracted over 400 entrants with sustainable designs from around the world from India to the UK. Natural materials used ranged from leather, suede and bamboo to the innovative use of algae!
Molly’s visionary graduate collection, 'Skin Story,' highlights the untapped potential of British agriculture by transforming cattle hides from regenerative farming into treasured fashion pieces. 'Skin Story' is a narrative-driven collection that explores the ethics of leather use, tracing each hide back to its farm origins and questioning the industry’s conventional notions of luxury. Embracing the natural imperfections of leather, Molly masterfully blends traditional and contemporary craft techniques to create striking silhouettes inspired by the durability and protection offered by motorcycle leathers.
Her work not only redefines luxury but also encourages empathy and a realignment of values in the fashion world. Earlier this year Molly also represented the island with her pieces at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient as part of the Manx delegation who travelled over to Lorient for the annual festival.
Congratulations Molly!
more info HERE
