Former Plume Academy pupil showcases lingerie designs

Kelly Alleyne, 23, of Maldon, studies contour fashion at De Montfort University in Leicester and recently unveiled her latest designs at a show during Graduate Fashion Week.

The event was held at the Old Truman Brewery and saw talented students showcase their hard work and fashion creations.

Several past students who have since gone on to work for some of the most established fashion brands in the country were also in attendance and were impressed by the calibre of the designs.

Kelly’s bold collection wowed audience members, her fellow fashion connoisseurs and representatives from global gymwear brand Gymshark.

Kelly said: “Having my final collection walk down the catwalk was very surreal.

“It had been something I had dreamt about happening since I started my degree four years ago, so I was extremely happy to finally have the experience.

“I like to think the audience enjoyed my music choice and the novelty of my mixed gendered collection – my aim was to recreate the atmosphere of Soul Train, and I think the audience would’ve enjoyed that.”

Kelly created a collection paying homage to the soul and funk music of the Seventies, as well as the era’s flamboyant pop culture, after being inspired by the male artists’ feminine outfits.

But she also wanted to use her creations to dispel notions of “toxic masculinity” and challenge the stereotypical designs of men’s underwear, which she achieved by drawing inspiration from outfits worn by American R&B group Earth, Wind and Fire.

She said: “I found the femininity of a lot of male artists’ outfits really inspiring and thought that it would be interesting to recreate this in the present-day environment, where toxic masculinity is very much an important issue.

“I also used interior design trends of the Seventies to inspire my fabric print.”

After graduating on July 20, Kelly will start working for the lingerie design team at Marks and Spencer.