“It is an authentic opportunity for young creatives.” Lulu Kennedy on coming together with Dr. Martens and Central Saint Martins to re-shape the iconic 1460 boot.

There are very few items that have had as big of a longevity in the fashion world as Dr. Martens’s 1460 boot. Known by all generations of style aficionados from the early 1960s, with the name of the boot carrying its history and the date it was officially launched, 1/4/60. Bringing it forward all the way into the current state of fashion, Lulu Kennedy and Dr. Martens have come together to officially launch a collaboration and a design competition with Central Saint Martins’s exceptional talent, and re-write the legacy of an icon into the future.

Meeting in the middle, the standout student talent gets to re-work, design and transform the style into their own design language, but also compete for their biggest career opportunity yet. The nine participants in the face of Atli Alfredsson, Joyce Bao, Dhruv Bandil, Yanya Cheng, Alvaro Martinez, Valeria Pulici, Maximilian Raynor, Traiceline Pratt, and Finlay Vincent Roberts all get to fully develop their concepts into a manufactured design, with four winners being announced in February 2024 in line with London Fashion Week. The winners will also receive a bursary of £5,000 each to support the realisation of ideas during their final academic year and graduate shows.

With a judging panel of industry supporters and long-time collaborators in the face of Fashion East’s Lulu Kennedy, innovator Darren McCoy, CSM Course Leader Fabio Piras and Supreme VP Erin Magee, the decision process is divided into several stages of analysis, with each judge coming from decades of experience in scouting and developing young fashion talent.

Catching up with Lulu Kennedy, Perfect posed the questions about how she sees young talent, and how you nurture it in order to grow into its full potential.

Angel: Lulu, how did you approach this project with Dr. Martens at the beginning?

Lulu Kennedy: As a lifelong fan of the brand (I started wearing silver 1460s in the early nineties!) it was an honour to be invited onto the project’s judging panel, especially amongst such great names. The competition was thoroughly well thought out and the students had responded brilliantly to the brief; it felt super exciting to be part of such an authentic opportunity for young creatives. On the day when the students presented, everyone was buzzing. The standard of work was off the scale.

Angel: When scouting and supporting new talent, what is something that you look for in designers?

Lulu Kennedy: A unique POV. It doesn’t have to be loud or overly complicated, but it does need to feel genuine and make sense in terms of a unified aesthetic. 

Angel: You have been a catalyst in the creation of today’s biggest designers, what did you learn about the process throughout these years? 

Lulu Kennedy: That every individual is entirely different and their success depends hugely on their personality, work ethic, close team and wider community. Good luck and timing is also key of course, but nothing beats putting the hours in to perfect your craft,

Angel: What do you think is different now, compared to when you first began working in the industry? 

Lulu Kennedy: Everything is much less relaxed and way more annoying!!

Angel: What is the main piece of advice you have for fashion students and young designers, trying to develop and grow in the age of social media?

Lulu Kennedy: People respond to getting to know the personality behind a brand. Humour is a must.