News Release

‘Brantano Young Shoe Designer of the Year’

With Award Winning Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication

London: 25th April 2008 - Brantano Footwear and Ravensbourne College of Design and
Communication have signed a unique three-year creative partnership that will breathe new
life into the UK footwear market. Ravensbourne will become the first UK College to
develop a range of footwear through a major footwear retailer. The students involved are in
the second year of Ravensbourne’s BA (Hons) Fashion programme, led by Chip Harris.

Chip Harris, BA (Hons) Fashion Course Leader said: “Ravensbourne is an award

winning college, renowned for producing exceptional design students. Our strength is
based on quality, cutting edge design and industry relevance – we place great emphasis on
our students understanding and experiencing the fashion design industry from day one of
their studies. We are delighted to be collaborating with Brantano on a major partnership
project that offers a creative and commercial opportunity to showcase student talent to
employers and consumers. Not only that, but footwear design is a new and exciting
development for Ravensbourne.”

The students were briefed in the New Year, and from an original group of forty-nine
students across Womenswear, Menswear, Fashion Textiles, Fashion Promotion and
Communication. Twelve were selected for the final judging process, which took place on
Monday, 14th April 2008.

Chip Harris devised and led the project with input from specialist footwear consultants. The
students also benefited from invaluable fashion industry input from leading fashion expert
Daily Telegraph Fashion Director Hilary Alexander, and Michael Temprano, Accessories
Editor (InStyle) providing the students with true media and commercial insight.

The judging panel included Brantano’s Buying Director Simon Cook, Retail Director Karen
Staton and Marketing Manager Karen Ramsey. Michael Temprano was an independent
judge and Hilary Alexander both chaired and judged the final presentations.

The Brantano Young Shoe Designer of the Year project gives students with a realistic
encounter with the footwear industry and the realities of operating within it, a speciality area
that the college did not previously work on. Simon Cook, Brantano Buying Director
said: “We believe that working with Ravensbourne is a strong cultural fit and the
relationship will inject new and fresh energy into the brand while also helping to build
Brantano as an innovative and compelling brand.”

Hilary Alexander, Daily Telegraph Fashion Director said: “I have been delighted to have
been involved in this ground breaking project. The fact that Brantano has chosen to
develop three of the designs demonstrates just how well these students understood the
brief. They have created exciting and unique designs that are both commercially and
creatively outstanding.” Hilary Alexander added: “ What is even more remarkable is the
fact the three winning students, like all the ones who entered the competition, are not even
studying footwear design! The result is a real credit to Chip Harris and his team."

The judging panel awarded the first prize to Mehmet Ali who designed a unique graphic
anime themed men’s footwear range. Runners up were Emma Street who designed a
women’s footwear range with a fantastic use of colours and materials and Ben Perrott who
designed a men’s footwear range influenced by Gap Year travels.

Karen Staton, Brantano Retail Director said: “This project has developed the students’
transferable fashion, textile and communication skills into the new area of footwear design.
All of the students should be very proud of themselves while the final three students who
demonstrated a strong understanding of Brantano’s target customers and pricing structure
while also creating outstanding and exciting designs.”

The winning students will also work closely with Brantano this summer, who will produce
each of the final three students key styles as samples, these will sit alongside the Spring
Summer ’09 range selection and will be chosen for further development on both their
design and commercial merit.

In 2010 all eyes will be on Ravensbourne, when it moves to a state of the art new campus
building at Greenwich Peninsula, next to The O2 arena. The new site will offer students a
learning environment that seeks to replicate working practices in industry, so that they
stand head and shoulders above their peers when entering their chosen profession.

-Ends-

For further information about the Brantano Young Shoe Designer of the Year project,
Brantano or Ravensbourne College please contact noreen@leepublicity.co.uk, or call Lee
Publicity on 020 7359 2288.

Notes to editors

Ravensbourne

Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication is a University Sector College,

currently based in Chislehurst, Kent. Ravensbourne specialises in the creative exploitation
of digital technologies in design and communication within a lively interdisciplinary learning
community. It believes that students need to be fluent in the use of digital technologies, not
just as a tool but as a medium, in order to stand head and shoulders above their peers
when entering professional practice.

The College enjoys an excellent reputation, based on the quality of its learning and
teaching, its excellent relationships with the creative industries and the calibre of its highly
employable and award-winning students. It has a community of approximately 1,400
students that follow pre-degree (Further Education), undergraduate or postgraduate
(Higher Education) programmes, and are drawn from the UK, Europe and around ten
percent from International (non-EU) destinations.
Ravensbourne programmes span broadcasting; interaction, media and sound design;
animation and performance video; fashion, product, interior, graphic, and moving image
design.

In 2009/10 Ravensbourne will be relocating to an iconic, purpose built college on the

Greenwich Peninsula to mark its educational transformation. For more information visit:
www.rave.ac.uk