Dr. Martens and Central Saint Martins Partner to Support Emerging MA Students

Iconic British footwear brand, Dr. Martens, has partnered with the renowned, rebellious talent incubator, Central Saint Martins (CSM) selecting five students to design and produce unique creations inspired by the brands' All Access Summer collection.

This season, Dr. Martens have announced the All Access Summer campaign to celebrate the first open summer, a summer where nothing is off-limits. A new range of sandals and summer shoes have been launched and showcased within the CSM students' designs.

The Central Saint Martins fashion programme is internationally renowned for its creativity, innovative and independent teaching and network of fashion insiders. Its alumni have shaped the global fashion industry from household names such as Alexander McQueen, Kim Jones and Stella McCartney to changemakers like Grace Wales Bonner, Nensi Dojaka, Craig Green and Phoebe Philo.

As a hotbed for international design talent and a birthplace for future leaders and visionaries, Dr.

Martens aims to shine a light on the diverse range of talent at the school from across the globe.

Five students were selected by Dr. Martens & Fabio Piras, Course Director, to take part in the project and receive a financial bursary from Dr. Martens to support their visions as well as a donation to the course itself. Each student faced the challenge of interpreting the theme of All Access Summer to create an outfit which embodies Dr. Martens' rebellious spirit. The students selected included: Francesca Lake, Xuesong Yang, Jad Jreissati, Lauren Patchett and Jude Hinojosa.

Fabio Piras, Course Director at CSM: "My role as Course Director is to shape students to be critical and resilient, whilst believing in their creativity and talent. All of these elements run parallel to Dr. Martens' ethos and spirit, and this partnership has provided an opportunity for my students to interpret a brief from another perspective, another angle, which is a hugely valuable skill to learn. That's why we're here, to continue learning and building the students' portfolios, experience and inspiration, and long may it continue."

Each student ideated, sketched, designed and produced their unique creations, captured by fashion education platform 1 Granary in a shoot to bring their visions to life.

"It is live projects like this that bridge the gap between the raw creativity of education and the real-life demands of the industry." - Olya Kuryshchuk, 1 Granary Founder

The students' work will be syndicated globally, providing visibility and a platform for these emerging creatives, whilst offering the opportunity to take part in an exciting and creative brief.

Darren McKay, Creative Director at Dr. Martens: "Creativity and community are core values of Dr. Martens, which is why there is such a natural synergy between the brand and the incredibly talented students of Central Saint Martins. We are so proud to partner with this powerhouse of originality and imagination shining a light on designers who have travelled from around the world to hone their craft in London, the home to so many internationally-known designers. It has been a pleasure to see the inventive and resourceful designs of the students and how they have interpreted the Dr. Martens All Access Summer. I can see each reaching new heights in their careers. Francesca, Xuesong, Jad, Lauren and Jude, watch this space."

Student Biographies:

• Lauren Patchett: @laurenpatchett: Lauren is a designer from Northern Ireland studying MA Fashion (knitwear for fashion) at Central Saint Martins. Her work is a crusade against dullness, revolving around colour. Encouraging wearers to mess around a little, and be lighthearted. She primarily used dead stock yarns to create an environment for play within her practice, as with dead stock you never know what you are going to get.
• Xuesong Yang: @xuesong_yang: Xuesong studies MA in Menswear Design at Central Saint Martins and is from Inner Mongolia, China, the Oroqen Autonomous Banner, a place where many nomadic people gather, and has lived there since birth. Xuesong's ethos is "As we grow, we continue to find ourselves and become more and more clear. Especially in recent years I have felt a strong nature worship and always be inspired by the history of the nation and from the more realistic feeling of self. We need to reflect on our relationship with nature and not keep focusing on where we are going and forget where we came from."
• Jad Jreissati: @jadjreisati: Jad's practice plays on the relationship between fashion and aspiration. A value held closely by this designer is the individual's right to their complexity. Born to migrant parents in Greater London, Jad's approach towards clothing is an ironically charged symbiotic blend of individual distinguishability and accessibility.
• Jude Hinojosa: @jude_hino_josa: Jude is a fashion designer and artist whose origins begin in Texas. Currently attending Central Saint Martins for MA Fashion, their work offers new options in menswear by taking pre-existing "male" attire and moulding it to emotional yet familiar pieces. Their menswear is ultimately for everyone. Jude's ethos is "If it makes you feel something, if it calls to you, please do them the honour of wearing it."
• Francesca Lake: @francescalakeofficial: Francesca is a multidisciplinary creative and designer from Kingston, Jamaica. Her work focused on celebrating the untapped stories of her culture and amplifying them on a global scale. Through the use of building structure through garment construction, ceramics and prose, Francesca's aim is to provide an emotive and visceral experience that adds to the tapestry and representation of authentic Jamaican culture in fashion and the arts.

Additional Tags:

• Photographer: @jamesrobjant
• CSM: @mafcsm / @csm_news
• 1Granary: @lgranary
• Dr. Martens: @drmartensofficial / #drmartens

The Dr. Martens All Access Summer Collection is available now in-store and online at drmartens.com/uk.

ABOUT DR MARTENS: The first pair of Dr. Martens boots rolled off the production line on the 1st April 1960. With its trademark yellow stitch, grooved sole and heel-loop, it was a boot for workers, initially worn by postmen and policemen; comfortable, durable and lightweight in comparison to its competitors at the time. Throughout Dr. Martens history, the brand has been adopted and subverted by diverse individuals, musicians, youth cultures and tribes. These are the people who stand out from the crowd and their journey of self-expression has always been accompanied by a pair of DM's. The Northamptonshire factory where it all began still exists to this day, in the village of Wollaston. A specific range of 'Made In England' products are manufactured here by a small, close-knit team of people schooled in traditional shoe-making and a process that hasn't changed since our first pair six decades ago.

ABOUT CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS, UAL: Across art, design and performance the students and staff of Central Saint Martins create ideas, materials and actions for a better future. Among our alumni shaping the world through creative action are Campbell Addy, Matty Bovan, Hamish Bowles, Craig Green, Grace Wales Bonner, Nicholas Daley, lsamaya Ffrench, Alex Fury, Katie Grand, Conner Ives, Kim Jones, lb Kamara, Stella McCartney, Harris Reed, Simone Rocha, Riccardo Tisci and Scarlett Yang. Central Saint Martins is part of University of the Arts London (UAL), an international centre for innovative teaching and research in arts, design, fashion, communication and the performing arts. The University is made up of six Colleges: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts.