College projects

BTEC 1st Diploma
in Design

5 textile designs completed as part of Nikki's BTEC 1st Diploma in Design course

Life Drawing & Sketch Copies For Nikki's College Portfolio

Nikki has always loved the concept of interchangeable outfits. This project demonstrates 4 garments designed to work together to create several looks. Each garment has been handpainted with an asian influenced design
around the edges

These 2 skirts were once one long fishtail skirt! From a young age Nikki has been passionate about upcycling, the two skirts formed part of her 1st Diploma collection.

Embroidered Dress

Nikki found a piece of fabric with ornate embroidary in a charity shop and created a shift dress with the embroidary detail on the front.

BTEC Ordinary National Diploma in
Fashion Design

Body Map Clubbing Competition Entry Sketches

Up~cycled Rubber & Wire,
Tyre Tread Coat

Nikki cut a trench coat pattern out of discarded industrial flooring rubber, old tyres for a lino print and created sleeves out of wire from old televisions. All materials were found in a scrap yard.
The coat was part of college assessment.

"Cinderella vs The Bikers"
BTEC OND Fashion Show

Nikki completed her National Diploma, gaining a "Distinction", at Southend College 1999-2000.
The finale of the course required Nikki to produce three outfits that would form part of 'The Class of 1990' Fashion Show. Nikki wanted to combine opposing looks, she researched "Biker" fashion and bondage wear and spent hours sketching historical outfits displayed in the Victoria & Albert museum, her intention being to clash the researched looks together.
Nikki also read various versions of the Cinderella story, but decided to focus on the Grimm Brothers version as inspiration, hence the title
"Cinderella vs The Bikers".

The "Bike Dress" was inspired by the silhouette of a Harley Davidson motorbike. Nikki wanted to create a leather "Ballgown" as depicted by the Grimm Brothers' version of Cinderella. Black and silver leather make up the bodice, the silver represents chrome on a motorbike, the hole on the front of the dress represents a headlight of a motorbike and the skirt is tulle layered and gathered at the front and back, to create a bustle, so the silhouette of the skirt gives a side view of a motorbike wheel and a front view of a tulle ballgown.

The "Bondage Dress" is made of black leather. Silver leather is draped at the front & back and is bowed at the sides of the bottom of the dress to represent the draping of a ballgown. The back & sleeve of the dress has straps and metal rings to represent the bondage element, a silver leather cap and a biker jacket made of organza finishes the outfit.

An off the shoulder red suede crop top with gathered tulle detail represents the top of a ballgown it was coupled with a pair of black leather hot-pants, representing stereotypical "biker" women's clothing, that were softened with tulle gathered around the leg to bring the ballroom element back to the overall look. The outfit was finished with a giant straw hat decorated with red suede and a pair of black organza gloves.