King’s Ely designer through to finals of esteemed competition

A creative King’s Ely student has reached the finals of a prestigious fashion design competition.

Namo Sajarattanachote, who is in Year 13 at King’s Ely Sixth Form, has been named a finalist in this year’s RECO Young Designer Competition, hailed the largest upcycling fashion design contest in Thailand.

Sponsored by Indorama Ventures PCL, the competition is organised to raise awareness about how polyester ‘waste’ can be used to create brilliant, inspiring designs. RECO also aims to demonstrate new skills, and it comes as a surprise to many that the designs submitted are created from ‘waste materials’.

From hundreds and sometimes thousands of entries, Indorama Ventures selects thirty shortlisted candidates to attend eco-design workshops led by professionals in the design industry, providing skills and knowledge for practical execution. Ten finalists – of which Namo is one – then use this knowledge to produce their upcycled design collection to show at the final event.

Alison Rhodes, Director of Art at King’s Ely, said: “We are absolutely thrilled for Namo! He is passionate about design and it is wonderful that his creative talents are being recognised in this way. For this year’s RECO competition, young designers had to submit a fashion collection containing one conceptual design and two ready-to-wear designs, all online. They were also required to show how 60 per cent of the garment could be made of recycled materials. Namo has done exceptionally well to reach the finals and we wish him well in showcasing his creations at the runway show events over the forthcoming weeks.”

The Art Department at King’s Ely is a thriving, inspiring environment where all students are encouraged to engage fully with the state-of-the-art facilities available. The Department specialises in Fashion and Textiles, Fine Art, Sculpture and Photography, and students realise ambitious outcomes, regularly achieving some of the highest exam marks in the country. In 2018, King’s Ely also won the Art and Craft Award at the prestigious Education Business Awards.

To discover more about opportunities at King’s Ely, go to: www.kingsely.org

For more information about the RECO competition, visit: www.indoramaventures.com/en/updates/reco-young-designer?year=2020