Heriot-Watt links up with Cartoon Network

Students at Heriot-Watt University Dubai will get the chance to have solid work experience under their belts as they team up with Cartoon Network and fashion brand Splash to design merchandise based on the Powerpuff Girls cartoon characters. The Powerpuff Girls Fashion Project will see students design clothing, iPhone covers, sunglasses, headphones, hair accessories and other items based on the cartoon characters. The project was launched last week when students from Heriot-Watt's School of Textiles and Design showcased their work-in-progress. The fashion creations will be showcased in a final show in May. Custom-designed photo booths will be installed in Splash stores in April where fans will be able to take pictures and have their family and friends vote on the project website and Facebook. "Cartoon Network wanted collaboration with fashion students who would develop their own designs based on a design brief, rather than going to professional designers," Vanessa Northway, who heads the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot-Watt, said. Northway said students would design men's wear, children's wear and women's wear with a contemporary fashion edge. There would also be a haute couture segment for the final show. However, all pieces would be based on the Powerpuff Girls' characters. "We really want this range to appeal across different markets and it will also create awareness of the brand." Shivani Agarwal, a third year fashion marketing and retail student at Heriot-Watt, said the project involved market research in which teams had to find out what consumers liked in terms of trends and products. "We have to come up with different awareness themes like breast cancer and the environment using the Powerpuff Girls' characters," she said. Agarwal said students were inspired by designers like Stella McCartney and Andy Warhol to produce funky and cool designs that would appeal to all age groups. Shruti Ganesan, 18, said the involvement was invaluable as they are guided by mentors who have much experience in the fields of media and fashion. "This is the first time we have been involved in such a large-scale project." Ganesan said previous student projects involved designing a window display for a fashion brand and staff uniforms for a local restaurant.