Sainsbury's reveals details of Graduate Fashion Week scholarships

Last month FashionUnited revealed that Sainsbury’s Tu clothing brand would be expanding on its Graduate Fashion Week scholarships to include a year-long mentorship for both a womenswear and menswear graduate, now the supermarket has confirmed the mentors will be Oliver Spencer and Henry Holland.

Building on its support last year and the success of Genevieve Devine from Northumbria University’s year-long mentorship, Tu will be offering one menswear and one womenswear paid scholarship with the design team at Tu worth 19,000 pounds and the opportunity to launch capsule collection under the Tu brand.

The winning graduates will also be coached by the in-house Tu design team, gaining insight into the fashion industry from buying through to design, as well as having access to Henry Holland and Oliver Spencer. Holland will mentor the womenswear graduate, while Spencer will look after the menswear winner, with both inviting the graduates to experience a day in their design studios, as well as monthly meetings and creative sessions to review their collections for Tu.

Henry Holland and Oliver Spencer to mentor GFW winners

Commenting on joining the scheme, Henry Holland said: “I am thrilled to have been asked to be a part of the Sainsbury's Graduate Fashion Week mentorship scheme. So much of my learning over the years has been learning from my mistakes so if I can help someone else not follow in my footsteps and guide them through the challenges in any way then I am so happy to be able to do so.

“I received nothing but help and support from so many people I encountered on my journey and I'm happy to be able to do the same for someone else. I'm excited to get started!”

Spencer added: “This gives a great opportunity for graduates to get first-hand knowledge of working within the industry, from the factory floor to the shop floor. In an age where sustainability and quality are such a driving force it is important that we show the way for the next generation so they can tread a sustainable pathway within our industry.”

In addition, as part of the partnership, Tu at Sainsbury’s will be present during Graduate Fashion Week hosting a Tu hub within the sponsorship floor. This interactive space will be set-up for graduates to visit with their portfolios to obtain advice and apply for recruitment opportunities directly from the Tu team. There will be also masterclasses for all attendees and number of talks including ‘Gok Wan The Inside Story’ and ‘Gok Wan Panel Talk – The Truth on the Fashion Industry’.

Graduate Fashion Week will take place from June 4-7 at the Old Truman Brewery in London.

Images: courtesy of Graduate Fashion Week - Sainsbury’s Tu stand from last year