JCA Masters Graduate Sophie Park has been shortlisted for Draper’s Student Footwear Designer of the Year Award
By JCA and Sophie Park
Covered by Ashley Buchanan
First Published: 06/04/2023
Location: London
Sophie Park, Masters graduate of the JCA I London Fashion Academy has been shortlisted for Draper’s Student Footwear Designer of the Year Award
LONDON, 6th April 2023: Sophie Park, Masters graduate of the JCA I London Fashion Academy has been shortlisted for Draper’s Student Footwear Designer of the Year Award. The Award is part of the annual Drapers Footwear Awards, the only footwear-focused fashion retail event in the UK that recognises and celebrates the very best in the sector.
"I am absolutely thrilled to have been shortlisted for the title of Student Footwear Designer of the Year and to be recognised for the hard work I've put in so far for launching my brand whilst at JCA. As a firm believer in the power of change and innovation within the fashion industry, this award could be a potential stepping stone towards achieving my vision.” Sophie Park.
Sophie Park is a footwear designer bringing a range of plant-based and innovative designs to the market and an exciting mixture of new materials. She is part of the first cohort of MA graduates in Fashion Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation at the JCA I London Fashion Academy who was launched as a professional designer during JCA’s London Fashion Week Show in October 2022.
“Having only opened the Academy eighteen months ago, we cannot be more proud to have one of our founding students be nominated for such a prestigious award especially given Sophie’s commitment to the sustainability agenda that we are founded on. Having also been incredibly fortunate to have introduced Sophie to Her Majesty, Queen Consort Camilla, we are very excited to see how the Drapers Award continues to push her brand forward” Stephen Smith, Founder and CEO at the JCA.
After years of following a vegan lifestyle herself, Sophie’s passion for plant-based living married to her life-long flare for fashion and shoe design. With her collection 777, Park offers sophisticated gender-neutral avant-garde designs made with plant-based materials. The collection comprises three staple styles with a selection of unique, androgynous pieces that can be added on, giving the wearer two or more varying styles of shoes in one.
Draper’s Student Footwear Designer of the Year Award was created to celebrate the hard work of those making their way into the industry and encourage the next generation of emerging talent. The category is open to footwear designers currently studying in the UK or Ireland and examines aspects of the designer and their proposals such as evidence of stand-out footwear design, on-trend design ideas, final developed product, commercial and customer understanding, market knowledge, proven technical skill and passion for footwear design and the industry. The winner will be announced at the Drapers Footwear Awards on 22nd June.
ABOUT SOPHIE PARK
Sophie Park is the eponymous brand of the young designer, established during her Master’s degree in Fashion Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation at Jimmy Choo’s JCA | London Fashion Academy in Mayfair, London. Sophie Park is a plant-based footwear designer bringing a range of innovative designs to the market and an exciting mixture of new materials. After years of following a vegan lifestyle herself, Sophie’s passion for a plant-based living has married with her life-long flare for fashion and shoe design. With her collection 777, Park wants to offer sophisticated avant-garde designs without compromising the environment.
Instagram: @sophiepark____
ABOUT JCA
JCA | London Fashion Academy is a pioneering fashion school and professional incubator founded by Prof. Jimmy Choo OBE and Mr Stephen Smith. It opened its doors in Mayfair in September 2021 to play a pivotal role in re-galvanising London’s fashion community post-pandemic and has been established as Mayfair’s international hub for all those interested in design and luxury brands. Taking inspiration from and disrupting the boundaries from the likes of the V&A, Royal College of Art, Parsons New York and Somerset House, the facility will be more than just an educational academy, providing contemporary co-working spaces for fashion start-ups, gallery and exhibition space and a calendar of networking and fashion-focused events.
Students and emerging designers can discover more information about the JCA via its website at, www.JCA.ac.uk and via its Instagram handle, @JCALONDON
ABOUT JCA MA Fashion Entrepreneurship in Design & Brand Innovation
The MA Fashion Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation has been designed with enterprise creation as a central distinctive feature. On the programme learners identify the market they wish to pursue, develop a brand that responds to their needs, design and create their founding collection and prepare a business plan for launch. Students on the course will establish themselves as a designer-entrepreneur from the outset and be professionally incubated from the Academy’s Mayfair campus.