The 85-year-old supermodel has plenty to draw on from her experience working with greats, notably Norman Parkinson, and laying claim to her first-ever British Vogue appearance in 1946, and has lost none of the passion that she poured into her lengthy career.
“It’s of most importance to me to keep connected to the younger generation that is coming along, observing the world, interpreting how they want to describe what they see, and advising their peer group on what to say by what they’re wearing,” she explained as we met for tea in Claridge’s this week to discuss her involvement with tonight’s gala. “People lack imagination a lot of the time as they are busy doing a nine-til-five job. In the arts, you suffer for your craft, but I admire anyone who has been born with that passion. If I was going to envy anything in life – and I don’t envy much – is that this place is available to encourage real talent and support it. The arts are what carries the world forward.”
The gala – which takes the form of a silent auction cum creative soiree before turning into a celebratory dinner, giving students, past and present, and invited guests the chance to see work close-up and connect with one another - was established by head of college professor Frances Corner in 2013. It has become an invaluable element of the year-long Fashion Matters campaign, raising money to provide the opportunity to students to pursue their education at the College when they might not be otherwise able to. By raising these funds (various other events throughout the year also raise money leading up to the big night), the college can offer scholarships, bursaries and awards to the designers, pattern cutters, creative directors, journalists of the future. Last year, it raised £85,000 on the night alone, and was able to fund 50 students’ courses.
“London has a lot of positive elements but obviously it’s a really expensive city to study in,” Corner - who is also pro-vice chancellor of University of the Arts London - explained to us. “There are lots of areas of the fashion world - illustration, designing, business - that need expensive resources, so the gala is about asking large companies and institutes to give back and support students regardless of where they come from or what their background is. We have a number of scholarships for students from families who have never been to university and don’t have much money, and travel bursaries because for some students the opportunity to study abroad is prohibitive but essential. It also offers students the financial security to go out and spend a year in the industry as well as live and explore.”
Illustrator David Downton, who will be on hand tonight to accompany Dell'Orefice, puts it well when he compares the training of fashion students to that of athletes.
Another advantage of opening up the college to a diverse range of students from different backgrounds is the stimuli for collaboration it presents. The college actively encourages students to work together, Corner explains, since "fashion is a team sport" and best understood from day one. Also, by encouraging more untapped talent to study one of the many diverse courses the college has on offer, it helps to build and solidify the skill set on offer in the British fashion industry, something which there is a heavy focus on post Brexit.
“What I say to all the young people who have found a little creative fire in them already is that they’re not just designing a garment, it’s design in a broader fashion. It’s about making people love themselves," said Dell'Orefice. "I say to young artists that they are the luckiest people in the world to have their passion. When you find a society, like the LCF which is such a supportive society, they are just so lucky to have arrived in the right environment.”
“It’s of most importance to me to keep connected to the younger generation that is coming along, observing the world, interpreting how they want to describe what they see, and advising their peer group on what to say by what they’re wearing,” she explained as we met for tea in Claridge’s this week to discuss her involvement with tonight’s gala. “People lack imagination a lot of the time as they are busy doing a nine-til-five job. In the arts, you suffer for your craft, but I admire anyone who has been born with that passion. If I was going to envy anything in life – and I don’t envy much – is that this place is available to encourage real talent and support it. The arts are what carries the world forward.”
The gala – which takes the form of a silent auction cum creative soiree before turning into a celebratory dinner, giving students, past and present, and invited guests the chance to see work close-up and connect with one another - was established by head of college professor Frances Corner in 2013. It has become an invaluable element of the year-long Fashion Matters campaign, raising money to provide the opportunity to students to pursue their education at the College when they might not be otherwise able to. By raising these funds (various other events throughout the year also raise money leading up to the big night), the college can offer scholarships, bursaries and awards to the designers, pattern cutters, creative directors, journalists of the future. Last year, it raised £85,000 on the night alone, and was able to fund 50 students’ courses.
“London has a lot of positive elements but obviously it’s a really expensive city to study in,” Corner - who is also pro-vice chancellor of University of the Arts London - explained to us. “There are lots of areas of the fashion world - illustration, designing, business - that need expensive resources, so the gala is about asking large companies and institutes to give back and support students regardless of where they come from or what their background is. We have a number of scholarships for students from families who have never been to university and don’t have much money, and travel bursaries because for some students the opportunity to study abroad is prohibitive but essential. It also offers students the financial security to go out and spend a year in the industry as well as live and explore.”
Illustrator David Downton, who will be on hand tonight to accompany Dell'Orefice, puts it well when he compares the training of fashion students to that of athletes.
“If you think of how many gazzillions of gold medals we won in the Olympics, we were able to win those because the athletes could train and train and they were given the money to do that exclusively,” he said, referring to the Lottery funded Olympians. “In the times that we live in, creativity is a currency and it’s worth more than the pound or the euro.”
“What I say to all the young people who have found a little creative fire in them already is that they’re not just designing a garment, it’s design in a broader fashion. It’s about making people love themselves," said Dell'Orefice. "I say to young artists that they are the luckiest people in the world to have their passion. When you find a society, like the LCF which is such a supportive society, they are just so lucky to have arrived in the right environment.”
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