UCA graduates' TV battle to dress Rihanna
A fashion graduate from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) is still in the running to dress mega-star Rihanna.
Jacqueline Loekito, who finished her degree at UCA Rochester last year, has made it to the semi-final of Sky Living HD's hit reality TV show, Styled to Rock.
Fellow BA (Hons) Fashion Design graduate Meganne Murrin made the final five but left the competition on Tuesday (2 October 2012) after failing to impress the judges in New York when she dressed Katy Perry.
2010 UCA graduate Meganne, 24, from Chatham, said: "Being on 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 - 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.
"The highlight of the show was being told I was going to New York to meet Katy Perry - it felt like I was dreaming when I was told. Going to New York was just out of this world as I got to see a part of the city that the tourists don't get to see and I'll forever be grateful for that."
Styled to Rock, the much-anticipated new fashion series executive produced by style-icon Rihanna in her debut role as a TV executive, challenges twelve unknown, raw and undiscovered designers to create and design bespoke and innovative stage outfits for global sensations, including Katy Perry, The Scissor Sisters, Cheryl Cole, The Saturdays and of course the show's boss, Rihanna.
Rihanna enlisted Girl's Aloud star Nicola Roberts, designer Henry Holland and superstar stylist Lysa Cooper to help her find the next generation of designers and celebrate the extraordinary talent and creativity in the British fashion scene.
Each week, a guest artist chooses their winning outfit in a tense showcase final that will prove whether the designers have adhered to the instructions they originally set. There's no room for mistakes - these are very real briefs - no musical artist wants a fashion disaster on their hands in front of merciless photographers and harsh fashion critics.
Meganne held her own against some of the best fashion graduates in the country and won the overall tasks for The Saturdays and Pixie Lott.
Meganne said: "I'm certain that I wouldn't have lasted as long on the show if I hadn't gone to UCA and learned what I did there. I felt 100 percent ready to design for some of the world's biggest stars on Styled to Rock with the degree from UCA under my belt."
Donna Ives, BA (Hons) Fashion Design course leader, said: "Jacqueline and Meganne are both a force of energy and ideas, as well as being brilliant fun.
"Jacqueline's colourful character was reflected in her very adventurous approach to dressing which extended to exotic and unusual hats - a yellow stiletto strapped to her head was particularly memorable.
"Meganne was equally bold in her ideas and approach to fashion and was never shy of expressing herself and getting the most from her education at UCA."
Meganne is in the process of creating her own fashion label, Tiger Vanstone, which will launch next year.
Styled to Rock is on Sky Living HD, Tuesdays at 9pm.
For more information contact:
David Reilly, Press Officer, UCA
T: 01252 892939
E: dreilly@ucreative.ac.uk
