<p dir="ltr">Megan graduated from Arts University Plymouth in the summer of 2023 and soon after joined Workroom, the arts university’s creative business incubation programme, supporting the development of her plans to create a sustainable fashion label, Dart &amp; Grey. Workroom provides residents with creative business and enterprise support, as well as access to specialist facilities within Arts University Plymouth as a Creative Associate of the university.</p> <p dir="ltr">Through Workroom, Megan received mentoring from industry and enterprise specialists Micronomy, who introduced her to the Environmental &amp; Compliance Manager at Princess Yachts. Megan used this opportunity to pitch her idea of using surplus unused materials from the luxury yacht manufacturer for her new fashion line, Dart &amp; Grey, to create a collaboration with Princess Yachts.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Princess Yachts were impressed with Megan’s pitch to utilise manufacturing surplus to create bespoke luxury fashion pieces, and at the time were making preparations to launch their flagship S80 Sportbridge yacht at Cannes Yachting Festival 2024.</p> <p dir="ltr">Heather Martin, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Fashion Design at Arts University Plymouth, said: “Sustainable design practice, fashion circularity and the consideration of ethical perspectives around supply chains and production methods within the fashion industry are integral to the way that we teach BA (Hons) Fashion Design at Arts University Plymouth. I am proud to see our graduate Megan Trapnell creating opportunities to embed this knowledge in her business practices. Megan showed much promise as a graduate in 2023, presenting her work on the catwalk at Graduate Fashion Week and submitting her portfolio by invitation to global brands including LVMH Louis Vuitton. It’s exciting to see Megan applying her talents to such an innovative new business venture.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Giving the green light to Megan to pilot her ideas using surplus materials from the S80, Princess Yachts and Dart &amp; Grey agreed to pilot the concept, with the aim of eliminating waste and creating a circular economy model through cross-sector collaboration.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Laura Parry, an environmental and compliance Manager at Princess Yachts who has been working closely on the project, commented: “Princess Yachts is delighted to be working in collaboration with Megan Trapnell to develop a high-end circular economy textile project to promote sustainability. The company is supporting emerging young talent within the City of Plymouth and in partnership are tackling a growing problem of surplus waste from the manufacturing process.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Diverting expensive textiles away from energy from waste (incineration), and handcrafting beautiful fashion items and accessories from the surplus, is an innovative way to showcase sustainability on our luxury yachts, whilst reducing our environmental impact and utilising materials in a resourceful and efficient manner.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Commissioned to produce a sample line of luxury clothing items, travel accessories and handbags in time for Cannes Yachting Festival, Megan took advantage of all the benefits of Arts University Plymouth’s Workroom programme to create her luxury samples to deadline. <br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Megan worked closely with <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/anna-masclans">Anna Masclans</a>, another Workroom resident, who founded and acts as the Director for Studio PL1, a Plymouth-based fashion studio that specialises in offering sampling and production services to fashion designers with a focus on circular economy models and sustainability. With the assistance of Studio PL1, Megan was able not only to create her initial line of products, but also to plan costings and project how to scale her ideas up to meet the demands of future orders.</p> <p dir="ltr">Megan also commissioned Arts University Plymouth BA (Hons) Commercial Photography graduate <a href="https://charlotteralph.com/">Charlotte Ralph</a> to capture the professional imagery needed to show off her samples.</p> <p dir="ltr">Recently Megan was invited to join Princess Yachts at their stand at Cannes Yachting Festival, a prestigious event that is one of Europe’s top in-water boat shows and the world's number one show for large sailing boats.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Megan, who lives near the coast and comes from a family with longstanding interest in boating, said: “Exhibiting my work with Princess Yachts at Cannes Yachting Festival was an incredible experience. It was exciting to see the new Dart &amp; Grey products inside the new S80 and have the opportunity to speak to attendees, who were enthused not only about the sustainability implications, but also the exclusivity that comes with creating such a limited range of luxury products.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can’t thank Princess Yachts enough for inviting me to join them in Cannes, and the project would not have been possible without the support of Arts University Plymouth and Micronomy.”</p> <p dir="ltr"></p>