UCB 'Vision & Vogue' Fashion Competition Highlights Sustainable Design
Universal College Bangladesh (UCB) in collaboration with the University of Lancashire, UK, organized the 'Vision & Vogue' fashion competition on Saturday, August 1, at its Gulshan campus. The event, spearheaded by the Fashion Promotion and Marketing department, aimed to showcase creativity, eco-friendly fashion, and innovative ideas through the use of recyclable materials. Students from grades 11 and 12, along with participants aged 15 to 23 from General Educational Development (GED), competed individually and in teams. Fifteen designs reached the final round and were presented in a live fashion show, featuring attire inspired by local traditions and crafted from recycled components. The judging panel included distinguished figures such as Paresh Parmar, Associate Dean of the School of Arts and Media at the University of Lancashire, Richard Anthony Brem, International Partnerships Project Manager, Joynob Maksud, Managing Director of 'Amira' (Experience Group), Professor Muhammad Ismail Hossain, Provost of UCB, and Zarin Rashid, a health coach and fashion designer. The top three winners received a total of BDT 60,000, while the top 15 participants were awarded special educational scholarships. UCB's Chief Operating Officer, Kingshuk Gupta, stated that the competition exemplifies how creativity can integrate sustainable materials, heritage, and brand concepts, encouraging young creators to view fashion as a field for innovation and positive change. Paresh Parmar praised the contestants' ability to express design, identity, and narrative using eco-friendly materials, noting that such initiatives help young people adapt to the evolving demands of the fashion industry.
This fashion competition underscores a growing trend in the creative industries to integrate sustainability with artistic expression. By emphasizing recyclable materials and eco-friendly design, the event encourages a shift in perspective among young designers, moving beyond purely aesthetic considerations to incorporate environmental responsibility and resourcefulness. The collaboration between educational institutions in Bangladesh and the UK highlights the internationalization of design education and the adoption of global best practices. Looking ahead, the challenge for such initiatives will be to scale these principles from competition settings to mainstream production, influencing consumer choices and industry standards to foster a more circular economy within fashion.
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