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Build It Wear It: Fashion designer creates Lego-inspired collection to tackle waste

30/05/2014
Middlesex University Fashion Design undergraduate Amelia Bebbington will be one of a select group of students displaying their creations in a fashion show at a top London venue.

Middlesex University Fashion Design undergraduate Amelia Bebbington will be one of a select group of students displaying their creations in a fashion show at a top London venue.

Amelia hopes to take the fashion world by storm and fight back against today's 'disposable' clothing culture - with a collection inspired by Lego.

22 Middlesex University students will be displaying their work at the iconic St Pancras Renaissance Hotel on 30th May.

As Amelia explains, she was first inspired to design her collection when she heard Vivienne Westwood's thoughts on buying clothes: "Westwood's view is that we should all 'buy less, choose well and make it last' - rather than making dodgy impulse purchases, wearing them once or twice and then getting rid of them. That sustainable ethos really appeals to me."

Fired up by the desire to create a minimal and dynamic capsule collection of this kind, Amelia got to work designing her range, called Build It Wear It (BIWI).

Amelia wanted her collection to be modular, durable, asexual (and so swappable between couples or friends) and even 'buildable'! The garments she has created can be zipped and popped together and apart, and so turned into other garments. That means items can be adapted and transformed to fit any season.

When people think of a typical 'capsule' wardrobe, black, grey and other neutral shades often spring to mind. However, Amelia's vision couldn't be more different. It was important to Amelia that her own cheerful, bubbly personality came across in her designs.

She also drew lots of her inspiration from toys of years gone by - things like wind-up cars and other metal toys that were bright, cheerful and durable.

Lego was the toy that Amelia fixed on as her main design inspiration: It epitomised her concept, being colourful, modular and enjoyed by both boys and girls. And of course, it's stood the test of time!

The little, bright yellow figures were what Amelia always thought of first - and so the colour of her collection was chosen.

Continuing the theme of fun and cheekiness, Amelia has also included lots of different fabrics and textures in her designs - everything from leather and knitted sections to plastic to fake fur.

In future, Amelia's goal is to own and run her own concept store - with a focus on modular clothing that all fits together. Most importantly, she wants her range to be accessible and affordable for everyone - not just celebrities and the super-rich.

Asked how she felt about the upcoming fashion show, Amelia commented: "This is an amazing opportunity to get my designs out there. The stakes are pretty high, so of course I'm a bit nervous. But more than anything, I'm excited. Hopefully on the day the clothes will speak for themselves!"

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