Student’s denim designs bag Levi’s prize

An Edinburgh College of Art student has won a global competition with denim clothing giant, Levi Strauss & Co.

Matilda Barrowcliff, a fourth year Fashion student, has won a summer placement at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco, USA, where she will work with a team of some of the world’s leading experts in denim.

More than 500 design students from across the world applied for the Denim 2020: Levi’s x ARTS THREAD Design Challenge.

Designing for the future

The competition asked applicants to submit designs showing a vision for what denim will look like in the year 2020.

Matilda’s collection could be worn by women or men and was inspired social media.

Her designs are adorned with personalised pictures, badges and slogans.

Matilda also focussed on the idea of slow fashion – making clothes that will last longer and of a high quality.

I was so shocked to hear I won the Levi’s competition, especially as there were so many other entrants. I am so excited to have the chance to work at their headquarters and think I will learn a lot. I am very passionate about denim, it is an amazing fabric that can be used in so many different ways, so this is an opportunity of a lifetime for me.
Matilda Barrowcliff
ECA Fashion student

Success stories

ECA’s fashion department is the only Scottish institution to show on the catwalk at the annual Graduate Fashion Week in London.

Last year, an ECA Fashion student scooped three awards at the prestigious annual fashion event. Melissa Villevieille won Womenswear Collection of the year, Catwalk Textiles of the year, and the David Band Textiles Award.

Former students have been employed by Prada, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Gucci, Diesel, Sonia Rykiel Paris and many others.