Winner! Keira Heckman – Star Student of the Year (over 16)

Fashion student Keira Heckman was virtually presented with the prestigious Star Student of the Year Award, organised by the Telegraph and Argus, in partnership with Bradford Council. The awards were streamed live on the T&A website on Thursday, April 29. The prize is in recognition of students at sixth-form, college or in further training who go the extra mile at their place of learning to support fellow students, improve school life for their peers, and take a leading role in extra-curricular activities.

Keira was nominated by her tutor, Joan Murray who said,
‘Keira is a true STAR student who deserves a lot of recognition for her impeccable fashion design work. She creates unusual and exciting garments which she presents showing the thoughtful and serious academic study of her research. Keira has worked hard throughout all her college time, undaunted by any isolation of lockdown. She researched using her serious interest in reading a wide range of classic literature, for example, her sustainable project was hugely influenced by the garments worn by the monster in the novel “Frankenstein’, producing a garment made with her own hand-woven woollen fabric. When Keira wants a certain texture, quality or quantity she puts her mind to the task and commits her full concentration to it, producing a very high standard of outcome. She allows the work to ‘speak’ back to her and responds by capturing the unexpected.

Keira’s latest audience-based project, a type of Vogue magazine underlines her ability with fashion film & photography. Having made her next set of garments in white, with so many sculptural and fluid qualities she invented her own surroundings as venues to express the “What Lies Beneath” photoshoot so imaginatively.’

Watch the winning moment: