Budding fashion designer wins LNER ‘uniform of the future’ art competition
A Tyneside youngster is set to see her work come to life after winning a competition to design a uniform for LNER.
Ten-year-old Fen Mcilwraith has been revealed as the winner of the LNER and National Railway Museum ‘Design the Uniform of the Future’ art competition. As part of her win, Fen, from Gateshead on Tyneside, will see her innovative Station Assistant uniform design transformed into a made-to-measure garment by LNER uniform supplier Dimensions.
The contest was launched to celebrate Railway 200, the bicentennial anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway – the world’s first passenger railway. Children up to the age of eleven were asked to picture the uniform that they imagine railway workers may be wearing in the future. Entrants were encouraged to consider practicality and sustainability to suit the changing environment, as well as safety and creativity. Prizes included the chance to see their design come to life by Dimensions, as well as LNER First Class family train tickets.
The judges saw many colourful and creative uniforms, but Fen’s vibrant orange Station Assistant design, made from recycled materials, caught their eye. It features zip-off trousers and sleeves to adapt to weather conditions, virtual reality glasses to keep the wearer informed of timetables and platform information, and a jetpack to help them to move across the station and support customers quickly.
Speaking of her win, Fen Mcilwraith, said: “I was excited to enter this competition because I love drawing and designing my own clothes. I use patterns, cut fabrics and use my sewing machine to make up samples. This offered a great opportunity to design for others and think about how they would use my design. I can’t wait to see my design come to life and this competition has given me a great start to becoming a fashion designer in the future!”
Fen said the bright and bold orange was inspired by her own personality and style, and that she was keen to add adaptable features for seasonal changes, along with wearable emojis so that colleagues could express themselves. Judges applauded Fen’s consideration of both the Station Assistant’s needs and the needs of the customers they support, as well as her creative ideas that will help railway workers to adapt to the future.
Chris Healy, Standards and Development Manager at LNER, said: “We were really impressed by the creativity of the designs shared for this special competition. Our congratulations go to everyone who took part.
“When designing uniforms at LNER, we always think about what will help the wearer to do their job. Fen’s futuristic design includes features that would help the customers we serve, our colleagues, and the planet, with her use of recycled material. We’re delighted to be working with our supplier to bring Fen’s design to life.”
Charlotte Kingston, Head of Public Programmes and Communications at the National Railway Museum, said: “Fen’s design stood out, not only for its bold creativity, but for the thought she gave to the real needs of colleagues and passengers on the railways. The railway industry is full of opportunities for creative minds, and it’s so inspiring to see young people imagining how they can make a difference — from designing more sustainable uniforms to shaping the passenger experience of the future.”
Sally Anne Roe, Senior Designer at Dimensions said: “We were absolutely amazed by the fantastic standard of entries for the competition. Fen’s design is original and detailed, and we are delighted to support LNER in bringing her vision of the uniform of the future to life. It’s been lovely to hear how passionate Fen is about clothing design and we are in no doubt she has an exciting future ahead.”
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