South Essex College of Further & Higher Education is proving itself fluent in the language of fashion as it plays an important part of The Comenius Programme, a major project aimed at schools, colleges and local authorities right across Europe.
The College, who will be co-ordinating the two year project, recently played host to the other partner colleges involved, Gewerbliche Schule Metzingen, Germany and French partner college, Lycee Colbert, Marseille, whose representatives discussed this year’s proposed project: the impact of fashion in the environment.
Sonya Hovell, Course Leader for National Diploma Fashion & Fashion Clothing Fashion Design, explained more about the pan-European project. She explained: “The project will include elements of sustainable, ethical and eco fashion. This is an extremely topical issue in fashion today with many established companies, as well as new designers, making it a key priority in their work.”
As part of the meeting of fashion minds across Europe the esteemed group also met a new ethical fashion designer in the shape of Noorin Khamisani, designer of the Outsider label, who is based in London.
Noorin’s designs stood out to the group as she was keen that her designs, although ethical, should look and feel like fashion. It is now hoped that she will be working closely with National Diploma students on a sustainable and charitable fashion project.
The bids for the project are then sent by each college to the British Council and then if that is agreed onto the European Council, then if three of the partners are approved funding the project will begin in September.

IMAGE: l-r Sonya Hovell, Noorin Khamisani, Karin Dachs, Gabrielle Fiore, Walter Wilhelm

Notes to editors
The Comenius Programme is named after Jan Amos Comenius, often considered the father of modern education
The Comenius Programme has two main objectives:
to develop knowledge and understanding among young people and education staff of the diversity of European cultures and languages, and the value of this diversity
to help young people to acquire basic life skills and competences for their personal development, for future employment and for active European citizenship