2023 Awardee: Olivia Shearon

I am extremely grateful to have received the Dewar Arts Award. It has helped me to push my creative capabilities to the maximum and contributed hugely towards the cost of materials and the development of my graduate collection. All which may have not been attainable without the funding.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2023
AGE AT AWARD: 21
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://www.instagram.com/oliviashearondesigns
 
 

Biography

Olivia Shearon is a fashion design graduate from the University of Edinburgh. Her ambition is to create garments that offer a high fashion spin on sportswear, with the desire to empower women.

Much of Olivia’s research is focused upon challenging the often distorted view of society’s perception towards the female form and ‘perfectionism’. She has been inspired by her personal journey with body image and her escape place: the gym and weightlifting. The celebration of all body types is a huge focus within Olivia’s process; highlighting the importance of the human body, its strength, flexibility, and individuality.

Olivia’s designs combine innovative knitwear and exaggerated silhouettes to embody a sense of comfort and functionality, juxtaposed with restriction. This results in garments designed to be adjustable and for layering, styled to the customer’s preference.

How the Award Helped

Olivia’s Award was used to help fund her graduate fashion collection. In the final year of her course, Olivia designed and manufactured a 6-outfit collection, which was shown at Graduate Fashion Week London and the annual Edinburgh College of Art Fashion Show. Funding from the Dewar Arts Awards provided her with the necessary resources to fully explore her creativity and bring her unique vision to life.

Since the Award

In 2024, Olivia graduated with a first-class degree from the Edinburgh College of Art at University of Edinburgh.

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I am extremely grateful to have received the Dewar Arts Award. It has helped me to push my creative capabilities to the maximum and contributed hugely towards the cost of materials and the development of my graduate collection. All which may have not been attainable without the funding.

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2018 Awardee: Sarah McCormack

Sarah McCormack

"Being in receipt of the Dewar Arts Award lifts many of the restraints that would otherwise inhibit the production of good work. Material costs, living expenses and course costs are lessened so that I am able to concentrate on fulfilling my potential in my studies."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2018
AGE AT AWARD: 25
ARTFORMS:
 
 
 

Biography

Sarah is an experimental designer, originally from Dumfries.  She initially studied an HND in Fashion Design at Clyde College, Glasgow, and went on to study a BA at the University of Westminster in London.

During her BA, Sarah took a year out to work in industry.  She gained an internship at Maison Margiela Artisanal in Paris, under the creative direction of John Galliano. She was later accepted onto an MA at the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London.

Sarah’s ambition is to produce clothing that is handcrafted and artisanal, in a practice that is exempt from the current fast-paced industrial model. She is strongly inspired by historical silhouettes, and wishes to pair the old and the new – vintage textiles with experimental techniques and fabrications.

Techniques such as hand dyeing and printing are key to Sarah’s work, and she creates screen prints based on her personal illustrations. The overall effect she intends to create is deliberately haphazard and idiosyncratic, multidimensional and layered.

How the Award Helped

Sarah’s Dewar Award supported her studies at Central Saint Martins, London.

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Sarah McCormack

"Being in receipt of the Dewar Arts Award lifts many of the restraints that would otherwise inhibit the production of good work. Material costs, living expenses and course costs are lessened so that I am able to concentrate on fulfilling my potential in my studies."

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2017 Awardee: Rhianne Goldie

Rhianne Goldie

"Being granted the Dewar Award has opened new doors for me. It has given me the opportunity to discover my true passions and interests within the design industry...With this grant I have been relieved of financial stresses, enabling me to focus fully on my education and career."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2017
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.instagram.com/rhiannegoldiedesigns/
 
 

Biography

Rhianne completed her undergraduate degree in textile design at the University of Dundee, and at that point felt she was unfinished with her studies. She went on to study an MA in Fashion and Textile Design at Heriot-Watt University.

Initially, Rhianne’s intentions were to enhance and develop her knowledge of heat-sensitive inks on textiles for fashion. She found her focus shifted throughout her studies, and she developed great interest in material exploration.  This led to exploration of worldwide, environmental issues associated with plastic pollution in the ocean.

Working with single-use plastics, Rhianne began to think outside the box and to push the materials to their limits. She utilised pre-existing design techniques to create innovative, body-adorning textiles in order to raise awareness of ocean waste.

How the Award Helped

Rhianne’s Dewar Arts Award supported her masters studies at Heriot-Watt University.

Since the Award

Upon completion of her masters, Rhianne’s university recommended she continue her research further at PhD level.  This prospect encouraged her to push her practice further than she had ever imagined.

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Rhianne Goldie

"Being granted the Dewar Award has opened new doors for me. It has given me the opportunity to discover my true passions and interests within the design industry...With this grant I have been relieved of financial stresses, enabling me to focus fully on my education and career."

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2015 Awardee: Louis Alderson-Bythell

I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing support of the [Dewar Arts Award] which allowed me to pursue my studies and take my work, craft and thinking to the next level.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2015
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:http://www.lvboratory.com
EMAIL:louis@lvboratory.com
 

Biography

Now based in London, Louis is an artist who is curious about the ways we relate to nature through scientific, social and spiritual lenses. Primarily working in Sculpture; biological intelligences, deep time and environmental elasticity are important references in their work. Louis works with materials drawn from the local environments the works are intended for, using living organisms and reclaimed materials and often involving local communities in the development of these works.

A graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art and the Royal College of Art, Louis is dedicated and meticulous, with a passion and energy for developing his skills, collaborating with researchers from many fields such as Insect Behavioural Ecology, Lichenology and Artificial Intelligence develop the concepts within their work.

In 2015, Louis was offered a place to study on a masters course at the prestigious Royal College of Art.

www.lvboratory.com
www.instagram.com/__l.a.b__

How the Award Helped

Louis received a Dewar Arts Award to support his masters studies at the RCA. The creative context of the postgraduate course will help Louis to further develop his craft and grow as a designer.

Since the Award

September 2023
Since receiving his Award, Louis’ career has gone from strength to strength. He writes:

‘I graduated from the RCA in 2017, since then I have been involved in many exciting projects that have culminated in how I develop my own creative work now, drawing inspiration from ecology, the sciences and community groups. I was a founder of Copenhagen based creative Studio ‘Material Think Space’ as well as a starting founder of the pollina­tion technology company ‘Olombria’. These experiences have shaped my own independent practice between arts and ecology.’

A former resident of the Sarabande Foundation, established by Lee Alexander McQueen. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at ArtNight London, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Vigeland Museum, Thorvaldens Museum, and Rotterdam Art Week. Their most recent work is a ‘Biochronological Clock’ in collaboration with Gothamie Weerakoon – curator of lichen at the Natural History Museum.

Louis is an Associate Lecturer at the RCA in the School of Design.

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I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing support of the [Dewar Arts Award] which allowed me to pursue my studies and take my work, craft and thinking to the next level.

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2015 Awardee: Rhys McKenna

"The Dewar awards sent me on a great learning experience and I am extremely grateful."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2015
AGE AT AWARD: 21
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://rhysmckenna.wix.com/rhysmckenna
EMAIL:rhysjaypeter@gmail.com
 

Biography

Rhys McKenna is an exceptional talent in the field of fashion, whose enthusiasm and dedication has earned him exceptional opportunities to work internationally. He has gathered inspiration in Edinburgh, New York and Beijing, with projects and internships for major names such as Michael Kors, MacKintosh and H&M.

Born in Stirling, Scotland, Rhys developed a passion for fashion design from an early age.  Whilst Head Boy at Stirling High School he reinvented the house identities as a project, and also cites his 15 years of participation in Tae Kwon Do as an influence on his work.

In 2012, Rhys began studying fashion at the University of Edinburgh. Throughout his studies, he supported himself financially by selling paintings, working in Slaters Menswear and providing academic tuition. This strong work ethic is something that he also applies to his practice and development as a fashion designer.

Rhys specialises in menswear. His ambition is to pursue a career in outerwear and tailoring, with postgraduate studies in Menswear Design and Design Informatics.

How the Award Helped

Rhys’ Dewar Arts Award enabled him to undertake an internship in New York with the prestigious fashion company, Rochambeau.

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"The Dewar awards sent me on a great learning experience and I am extremely grateful."

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2007 Awardee: Hayley Scanlan

I would just like to say how thankful and grateful I am for you to pick me and how much it will benefit the rest of my time here in LA

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Whilst she was just three-quarters of the way through her degree in textile design at Duncan of Jordanstone, Dundee-born Hayley Scanlan was offered the chance in a professional life-time of a nine-month unpaid internship with top fashion designer Jeremy Scott based in his studio in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles.
The offer was the chance to work with Jeremy Scott on a print design for inclusion in his Spring/Summer 2008 collection, ultimately to be shown at the LA, Paris and New York Fashion Weeks. This is the kind of work which Hayley had dreamed of doing since she was a young girl.

Hayley’s major strengths are a creative energy and ability to understand and react to fashion trends, attributes which won her the internship. Her talent, particularly in fashion related areas, and the high standard of her finished work are abilities which will undoubtedly enable her to succeed in textile design in fashion.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award enabled Hayley to complete her internship in LA. Her striking print designs were part of Jeremy Scott’s collection at the Paris and LA Fashion weeks in late 2007.

Since the Award

During her time at the Jeremy Scott studio, Hayley worked on ready-to-wear collections for Paris Fashion Week. This experience gave her an “intense insight into the reality of the hard work and dedication involved in the fashion industry”. After the internship, Hayley returned to Dundee to finish her degree. On the opening night of her degree show she caught the eye of the head of the British Fashion Council and of model Erin O’Connor who commissioned a copy of one of Hayley’s garments in her collection. Hayley is now working hard to establish her own fashion and textile label.

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I would just like to say how thankful and grateful I am for you to pick me and how much it will benefit the rest of my time here in LA

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2006 Awardee: Jamie Tetsill

I was so thrilled and honoured to receive an award

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 24
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Brought up in Falkirk, Jamie Tetsill graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 2005 with a first-class honours degree in textile design. After graduation, Jamie was one of 24 young hopeful fashion designers to be invited to showcase his work at international fashion exhibitions in London and Paris.

This confirmed his ambition to embark on a career in fashion. James successfully competed for a place on the prestigious and intense masters in fashion at Central St. Martins, London, which has launched the careers of many of Britain’s brightest and hottest fashion designers.

As an undergraduate, Jamie impressed with his outstanding creativity and ability to challenge orthodox approaches with flair and panache. Twenty-four year old Jamie is working towards his fashion collection to complete his Masters. It promises to combine both creativity and experimentation to produce an interesting and dynamic collection.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards helped fund the costs of making and producing Jamie’s final collection.

Since the Award

While still at Central St Martins, Jamie was invited to meet legendary designer Donna Karen and talk her through his folio of designs. He was one of only 20 MA students to be invited to show his degree collection during London Fashion Week. This resulted in lots of media attention after which Jamie was nominated for one of the Scottish Fashion Award’s New Talent Awards.

As part of the Glasgow Fashion Collective, Jamie showed his second collection the following year at London Fashion Week. He is now developing his own label.

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I was so thrilled and honoured to receive an award

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2005 Awardee: Anthony Campbell

The difference that this award will make in helping me reach my dream is immeasurable

YEAR OF AWARD: 2005
AGE AT AWARD: 24
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Anthony gained a first class degree in design textiles at the Glasgow School of Art and went on to pursue an MA in Fashion at Central St Martin’s, London, one of the UK’s major fashion colleges.

He writes: “my work is concerned with researching and developing textile design in the realm of menswear. I intend to do this by designing and developing textiles using digital print and knit technologies, challenging the use of these techniques and applying them to menswear design.”

Anthony’s aim is to launch himself as a contemporary menswear designer, through his final degree show at London Fashion Week.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award helped towards his MA in fashion at Central St Martin’s, London.

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The difference that this award will make in helping me reach my dream is immeasurable

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