Former student needs YOUR votes in design competition
Calling all former Christ the King students, one of your fellow alumni needs your help! Fashion designer and ex-student Christina Banjo is taking part in a design contest and is in need of your vote.
The contest is the Abury Design Experience, which aims to bring together budding young designers with artisans and craftspeople from around the world.
Christina is already into the final and with her experience of working with local artists and craftsmen, plus her talent for creating beautiful accessories, we think she’s got a great chance of claiming the once-in-a-lifetime prize. But she needs your votes!
You can vote for Christina here to help her win the chance to produce her own capsule collection for Abury.
The chance to create a collection for such an established, international brand would be a dream come true for Christina. But she’s not exactly new to the world of fashion.
“Since finishing college I have gone on to complete my degree at Kent University and have set up my leather accessories brand,” she told us.
Offering a limited range of handcrafted leather tote and clutch bags, Christina Chi – as the business is known – has been going since September 2013. It’s still early days for the brand, which focuses on high quality items rather than mass-market appeal, but Christina has already had some big moments.
The launch of a limited edition handbag in Paris saw Christina Chi team up with renowned boutique Aloha Paris, with the bag featuring in a premium magazine for Qatar Airlines. Christina has now expanded the collection and is excited for the future.
“What I love about being self-employed is that you are always learning, the learning curve is very steep. Especially when you are starting out on your own with little help,” she said.
“The experience I have gained is second to none; I don’t think I would have got this experience and exposure working for somebody else. The next step is to continue learning and growing and to be happy. The ultimate form of success is happiness.”
She’s come a long way since her time at Christ the King, where she studied no less than five A-Levels. So we’re not surprised that she has big plans for the future, including more business ventures and turnover running into the millions.
But the next step is the Abury Design Experience. And with voting coming to a close in the near future, Christina will soon find out whether she gets to produce her own unique collection and take her career to the next level.
Yet whatever happens, we’re sure we haven’t heard the last of this talented young designer. So, watch out for a Christina Chi store on a high street near you soon!