The student from Portglenone, who studied a BTEC Extended Diploma in Art & Design at the Magherafelt Campus of Northern Regional College, qualified with three distinctions in June this year, and has started his career off on one of the most stylish of platforms he could hope for.
Thomas said; “To enter, I submitted a mood board of my design to show what inspired the Daisy Couture dress. For me, it was all about 1920s glamour, The Great Gatsby and other prolific designers such as Jenny Packham, who has such a presence in the wedding designer world.
“I’m really excited about the Wedding Journal Shows; it will be amazing to see my design worn on the catwalk for so many to see. To win out of the seven finalists would be a massive achievement.”
Michele Downey, Course Coordinator at Northern Regional College also commented; “Thomas has a natural flair for art and design and particularly the area of fashion. He has consistently produced high quality work through his two years of study. I am proud to have been a part of his achievements to date and believe he deserves to win this prestigious fashion design award.”
Tara Craig, Wedding Journal Show organiser and editor of Wedding Journal Magazine said; “We have had an overwhelming response to our young designer competition this year, with hundreds of mood boards entered from across Ireland. To whittle them down to seven finalists was tough and we wish all of them the best of luck with the competition.”
If triumphant, Thomas will be interviewed and have his design featured in a photo shoot for Ireland’s Wedding Journal magazine, as well as champagne and a winning certificate.
Thomas’s fate is in the publics’ hands, who have the deciding vote online at www.weddingjournalshow.com, by clicking on the Young Designer tab and following the simple directions on the page.
Those wishing to see the designs up close can go to the show in Belfast at the Kings Hall on 03 – 05 October, while Thomas’ dress will also be sashaying up the catwalk today (Sunday 28 September) in Dublin at the Citywest Complex.
The winner will be announced on the final day of the Belfast Wedding Journal Show next week on Sunday 05 October, with voting closing that morning.
