University College Isle of Man (UCM) alumni, Shannen Samuel, is flying the Manx Flag in the fashion, sustainable fashion and costume design industries in the UK.
Shannen, who studied UCM’s Art Foundation Course before studying fashion at University, is currently working on costume design within the film industry, as well as being Creative Director of ‘bleaq’, a platform for emerging designers in sustainable fashion from all around the world.
Prior to that, Shannen built a career within sustainable fashion from her own store on Brick Lane in London, working on a wide range of collections, including an initiative reusing tights which she says are the ‘fashion industry’s plastic bottle caps as they can’t be recycled’. Shannen’s TT-inspired collection made using recycled motorbike leathers and motorsport materials, was featured in the Official New York Fashion Week in 2022.
Shannen is currently designing costumes for SHEE (Manx Gaelic for “fairy”), a dark coming-of-age short film inspired by Manx folklore. The film is set to shoot on the Island later this year, with a fundraiser launching in March. You can follow their journey on Instagram: @theshee_film.
Shannen commented: “I would say that the Art Foundation course at UCM was the most pivotal years of my life in terms of my career. I had never done fashion before and I wouldn’t have even thought about it as I was a bit of a tomboy growing up. Having great tutors and a really good sense of community I felt I could be myself and I ended up doing fashion because it was one of the modules. It turned out I was actually really good at it because I had a different perspective.
“Since completing this course, I’ve had so many great experiences in the fashion industry and am so fortunate to do something I truly love that inspires me each and every day.”
UCM Principal, Jesamine Kelly, added: “It’s so important to share success stories of our alumni. They are a great way to inspire our students, showing them what they can also achieve. Shannen is a great example of finding your passion and putting in the effort to become truly successful. We’re really looking forward to seeing where Shannen’s career will take her next.”