Two  graduating textiles students have made the final of the ‘Feel the Yarn’ competition in Florence.

Maddie Sellers (main picture) and Molly O’ Halloran (below), both in their final year, were selected for the final after the competition’s judges were impressed by their design proposals.

The students were tasked with submitting illustrations of their knitwear designs based around the theme of ‘co-creations’ – the tension between technology and emotion – as well as a mood board and short written description.

Once selected Molly and Maddie were matched with an Italian yarn spinner who will provide the materials for their garments.

Currently, Mollie and Maddie are waiting for their yarns to arrive and will then spend the summer making two knitted outfits before the final in Florence at the end of June.

Twenty-seven students from fashion courses at universities across the world will take part in the final. The shortlisted garments are displayed on mannequins and the winner is decided by a public vote at the show.

Molly said she was “shocked” to have made the shortlist: “I really wasn’t expecting to be selected – it’s such a big opportunity.

“It’s a global competition and the yarns we are going to be sent to use for our garments are of a really high standard – well out of our price range!”

The students’ visit to Florence will also consist of lectures, workshops and mill visits – with the aim of increasing students’ knowledge of the Italian spinners they’ve been working with. There is also a catwalk show for contestants.

Maddie said: “I am really excited to make the final – this is the first year the University of Brighton has been involved in the competition so it feels like a very special opportunity.

“I also feel very lucky as all the final contestants are sponsored by an Italian yarn mill, so I have been given 18kg of beautiful yarn to make my garments for the competition.”

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