Brighton student designed World Cup suits (From The Argus)

Brighton student designed World Cup suits

1:10pm Tuesday 22nd June 2010 in

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A budding fashion designer has scored twice, getting her clothes into one of the country’s leading stores and on the backs of the nation’s footballing heroes.

Former Brighton student Kirsten Clarke designed the England football team’s official suits.

Having seen players including David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and David James wearing her suits as they boarded the plane to South Africa, Kirsten is now looking forward to seeing her designs on men up and down the country.

The former Varndean College student, 27, played a key role in designing the suits, sketching the designs for the final outfits worn by the squad.

She helped source the fabrics and commission a factory to make the final products.

She said: “It was great to see them going out to South Africa in my designs.

“It was very exciting.

“I’m not a massive football fan and don’t really support any team other than the Seagulls, but I do like to watch England play and it is great to see such big name celebrities in my designs.

“We started back in September, so I had almost forgotten about it when I saw them getting off the plane in South Africa and the pictures of my suits all over the press.

“At college I studied textiles and mainly focused on women’s wear so had no idea that one day I could one day end up dressing Capello and Beckham.” Kirsten studied A-levels in textiles, art and photography at Varndean College from 1999 to 2001, which helped her pick up the style flair to dress some of the country’s best looking men.

After leaving Varndean, Kristen took a foundation course at City College, before studying a degree in fashion and design at Kingston University.

Last September she started work at Dewhirst, fashion suppliers to Marks and Spencer. She took on the task of helping design the England team’s suits as her very first assignment.

Soon every man in the country will be able to pick up a similar version of the two-button single breasted grey suit, from their local Marks and Spencer. However the off-the-peg versions will have the three lions logo on the inside.