A North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College fashion student with an “exceptional eye for futuristic design” has been recognised as one of the top young fashion students in the country.

First-year Level 3 fashion student Rosie Hanney has been named runner-up in the prestigious Graduate Fashion Foundation’s Young Talent of Tomorrow Fashion Design Competition 2025.

The announcement, celebrates Rosie’s standout entry in the Year 12 and 13 category based on the theme ‘Imagining Tomorrow’.

Inspired by the bold and futuristic aesthetic of Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Rosie’s design submission included a highly detailed two-page research and design board.

Her work showcased a powerful vision of fashion’s future—featuring sleek silhouettes, layered textiles, vibrant neon accents, and innovative techwear elements that reflect the ever-evolving interplay between identity and technology.

Rosie said: “My design was inspired by the cyberpunk genre — a vision of a future where high-tech meets low-life.

“With advances like humanoid robots and self-driving vehicles becoming real, I think we're heading towards a world where technology replaces many everyday human roles. Places like Japan already reflect this shift with their high-tech cities and robotic innovations.

‘I took inspiration from the show Cyberpunk: Edgerunners to create a bold, futuristic outfit with luminous green accents, circuit patterns, and a gas mask — blending fashion with a vision of what our future could look like.

“Being named runner-up in the Graduate Fashion Foundation’s Young Talent of Tomorrow Fashion Design Competition is such an honour, especially as a first-year student. I’m really proud to have my work recognised and it’s motivated me even more to keep pushing creative boundaries in my designs.”

Out of 19 students who submitted their work through the College’s Competition Club, Rosie’s concept captured the imagination of the judges and earned her a place among the top young fashion talents in the UK.

Her designs will now be professionally illustrated and framed, and exhibited during the four-day Graduate Fashion Exhibition at the Truman Brewery in London this June.

As part of her prize, Rosie and her family have also been invited to the prestigious Graduate Fashion Week schools’ catwalk show, with the awards ceremony taking place on June 16th.

Rosie’s tutor, Jo Hall, said: “Rosie has an exceptional eye for futuristic design and storytelling through fashion. Her interpretation of the brief was original, ambitious, and executed with a level of detail well beyond her years. We’re incredibly proud to see her work celebrated at such a high-profile event.”

This national recognition not only celebrates Rosie’s personal success but also reflects the high standards and creative excellence nurtured at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College’s fashion course.

For more information about NWSLC’s courses and success stories, visit: www.nwslc.ac.uk

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College student shines in national fashion design competition