'Precious Cargo' work exhibited by York College students at the Yorkshire Museum

Final year BA Fashion Design students and Extended Diploma in Creative Media (Film and Television) students at York College are currently exhibiting work for the 'Precious Cargo' project at the Yorkshire Museum in York.

The Fashion students have produced high quality designs and garments for the exhibition which celebrates the lives of Septimus Severus, the first black citizen to hold Rome's highest office, and his wife, Julia Domna. Their garments are one-off stand alone pieces, fitted to mannequins, which are a direct response to the museum's artefacts associated with the unknown bangle lady. The garments were designed by students Catherine Hall, Jordan Ness and Katrina Maughan.

Said Rebecca Downes, fashion tutor: "The students from the BA (Hons) Fashion Design at York College have collaborated with the Yorkshire Museum to produce one-off exhibition pieces inspired by the stories and artifacts displayed there. These have also been influenced by contemporary York and are a celebration of the diversity of people who lived in the city at the time and the people who live here now. The individual pieces are developed from the constraints of being unable to cut and shape fabrics as they are today and through draping, pulling and tacking from one length of cloth only, into geometric designs. Each student has been influenced by different elements of the exhibition from hand dying fabrics using natural sources to more mythical aspects of the ancient Roman culture."

Also, nine film and television students have created an interesting 40 minute film, shown on a loop at the exhibition, about Roman history in York.