2024 senior competition winner
Alexandra Burch

Channelling earth, water, fire and air, the Wool4School 2024 United Kingdom competition challenged students to take inspiration from natural elements to create designs of a minimum 70% wool.

Alexandra Burch has taken out the top award in the senior designer category for the Wool4School competition. Inspired by the element of water, Alexandra’s design channels the movement of water and bringing attention to the discharge of sewerage into England’s rivers and seas.

Alexandra’s 1960s flare sleeve and trouser combination is created from crocheted wool from pre-owned scarves, beads from pre-owned necklaces, knitted padding techniques inspired by Studio Eva x Carola and diamond mesh stitch to recreate a fishing net effect.

With a palette of deep blues, and earthen shades tinged with gold, Alexandra’s design represents the glimmers of light that reflect from water and draws on the Merino wool fibre’s ability to keep the wearer comfortable at any event, including under the bright lights of red carpet events.

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As the senior student category winner, Alexandra received a suite of Wool4School prizes including a short course at the University of Arts London including 5 days accommodation and transport, an XP-PenGraphicTablet, a winner’s certificate and the winning design recreated into a 3D avatar.

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We spoke to Alexandra to learn more about her Wool4School winning design:

What made you enter the competition?

I found the competition online by chance, and I thought it was such an exciting opportunity. I love improving my fashion design skills and challenging myself, and exploring the uses of different natural fibres. That made the focus on Merino wool perfect, especially as the brief of ‘elements’ allowed me to utilise its versatility and timelessness.  

Can you explain your design?

In my design, I took inspiration from water as an element. I wanted to reflect how water appears magical when it catches the light, and I achieved this by adding small amounts of gold to intricate patterns. I researched different techniques that could create 3D patterns out of wool, and these can be seen in the top. The trousers feature an exaggerated flare to imitate puddles of water, and are created using a denim knitted effect. My overall design celebrates the natural form of water, with references to late 1960s ‘hippie’ silhouettes and patterns – this is a counterculture that continuously inspires my design work.  

What was your favourite part of the competition?

My favourite part about the competition was the opportunity to research the different ways wool can be used to create fabrics and textures – I had no idea it was such a versatile material, and techniques like the knitted padding technique and the deboss effect by Eva x Carola really inspired me.  

What are your thoughts on your win?

I am flattered and delighted to find out that I have won! It is especially exciting that judge Robyn Lynch selected my design. I can use the knowledge I have gained from my research into different techniques using wool in many future designs, so this competition was an amazing opportunity! 

Advice for students taking part next year?

Always make sure that you love your design, and it is to your own unique taste. Obviously, it is important to follow the brief, but ensuring you are passionate about your design makes it much more exciting, and chances are you will produce work of a much better quality if it really means something to you.

Inspired by Alexandra’s design? Register for Wool4School 2024/25 for your chance to win a suite of prizes to kickstart your design dreams.

Watch Now: Alexandra's short course at UAL