Fashion designer Jacqueline is Rihanna finalist
The tense grand final of hit TV show Styled to Rock saw mega-star Rihanna pick a fashion graduate of the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) as her third place winner.
Jacqueline Loekito, who graduated from BA (Hons) Fashion Design at UCA Rochester last year, has spent the last ten weeks showcasing her design skills on Sky Living HD's reality show.
She caught Rihanna's eye from the start of the show but lost out to overall winner Zainab in last night's final (16 October).
Jacqueline, who is 26 and originally from Jakarta, said: "Being in the final three was incredible. I knew from the beginning that if I focused on what I believe and worked super hard I could get to the final.
"I don't regret what I made for Rihanna but I'm more annoyed at myself for not sticking to my true design style.
"The fact that Rihanna said that she knew I was going to be in the final was the best encouragement anyone can ever give me as she's so observant and pays very close attention to detail which I thought was really special."
Fashion talent show Styled to Rock saw 12 contestants compete over ten weeks to create outfits for a host of A-list stars, including Katy Perry, Cheryl Cole, Kanye West and Rizzle Kicks. Only one could earn the right to dress the world's biggest pop-star, Rihanna at her biggest UK gig of 2012.
Executive producer Rihanna enlisted Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts, designer Henry Holland and superstar stylist Lysa Cooper to help her find Britain's next big name in fashion.
Jacqueline said: "The whole experience was magical. We were working literally every day but it didn't feel like work as I was doing something I love.
"The competition and winning some of the challenges has definitely boosted my confidence as a designer and I now feel that I'm better in terms of understanding a brief, being in a pop star's shoes, making quick decisions but still making something new.
"The highlight of the show was definitely going to New York, as I never been before, plus I was there to dress one of the biggest and sweetest pop stars in the world: Katy Perry. It was more like an honour, rather than work to make something for her - and the best part was that she was so humble and interested in every single one of us."
The gruelling schedule meant the contestants had to create fresh, new designs each week but Jacqueline was well equipped with the skills that she acquired at UCA.
She added: "UCA always pushed me to do more and more. I've always been a rebel and ask to try totally different things to the rest of the class but the staff would always support my visions instead of making me follow the crowd, which was great.
"Also, the tutors and staff are all from the fashion world so it was great to know you were being trained by people in the industry. They also encouraged us to do work experience from the start, and I ended up working with Giles Deacon at the end of the first year."
Rihanna picked two former UCA fashion students for the show. Fellow BA (Hons) Fashion Design graduate Meganne Murrin made the final five but left the competition on 2 October after failing to impress the judges in New York with Katy Perry.
2010 graduate Meganne, 24, from Chatham, said: "Being on the Styled to Rock was like having the world's best job for ten weeks. I have never had so much fun in all my life and it's definitely something I will be telling the grandkids about when I'm old and grey. It was extremely tiring but lots of fun.
Jacqueline is preparing to launch a new capsule collection with her business partner but is also working at UCA Rochester where she is passing on her skills to fashion students as a technical tutor.
Meganne is in the process of creating her own fashion label, Tiger Vanstone, which will launch next year.
For more information contact:
David Reilly, Press Officer, UCA
T: 01252 892939
E: dreilly@ucreative.ac.uk
