Cordwainers footwear student awards to go ahead

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Apr 24, 2020

A design competition for footwear students will go ahead despite the Covid-19 crisis, with judges deliberating via email and video conference.

The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, which organises the annual Cordwainers National Footwear Student Awards, said the event will take advantage of digital technology to ensure that students can still take part.

Students from three universities, De Montfort University, the University of Northampton and London College of Fashion at the University of the Arts, London, have been invited to submit their portfolios digitally.

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About £12,000 will be awarded in prizes, including a £5,000 prize for the winner of the Cordwainers National Footwear Student of the Year award.

The master of the company, Nigel Easton said he was happy that “we are able to run our prestigious annual competition in spite of the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus emergency". 

He added that the awards demonstrate the commitment to supporting the footwear industry and student footwear designers.

A representative from De Montfort University commented: “Our students have all worked really hard on their submissions, so this will be a very exciting celebration for them under the difficult circumstance that we are all now in”.

The winners will be announced in June, and the Cordwainers’ Company is hoping to host an awards ceremony in the autumn. The ceremony has previously been attended by some key names in British footwear, including Jimmy Choo, Rupert Sanderson, Sophia Webster, and Nicholas Kirkwood.