Chancellor's Robes

 News 

Student and Graduate team up to create bespoke Chancellor’s robes

At the recent Bath Spa University graduation celebrations, it wasn’t just our final-year students celebrating their big day.

BSU’s new Chancellor, Sharanjit Leyl was taking part in her first graduation ceremony since taking up the role, and it was the first appearance of her specially designed Chancellor’s robes which had been created for ceremonial appearances.

The new robes are not only a nod to Sharanjit’s Singaporean and Indian heritage and culture, but they are also laced with BSU inspiration and creative flair.

Fashion Design student Daisy Jackson was chosen as the winning designer of the robes, with BSU graduate in Fashion and Textile Design Eloise Atwell, who is the co-founder of Jokoto Tailoring in Bristol, bringing the design to life and tailoring the robes.

Speaking about her pride in being chosen to design the Chancellor’s new robes, Daisy said:

“I am very proud to have been chosen and was not expecting to win! It was great to see the whole process from concept to creation whilst having the opportunity to work with professional tailors.

I wanted Sharanjit to be able to celebrate her heritage through her robes in a way that beautifully presented Singapore and Indian culture, silhouettes and textile techniques. I wanted the robes to be a personification of Sharanjit’s culture and heritage.”

Eloise, who worked tirelessly to tailor the garment ahead of the graduation ceremonies, also touched on her pride in being part of the garment’s journey:

“It was an honour to be asked to tailor the Chancellor's robes by Bath Spa University. I enjoyed the combination of creating something steeped in tradition and heritage whilst symbolizing modernity at the same time.

Once all the fabric had been carefully chosen and the finalised shape was agreed I moved on to working with the final fabric and trims. Traditionally this type of garment involves a lot of fabric and decorative trims, and even though the ethos of the design had a modern spin with the wearer in mind the fabric usage stayed true to the garment's origins. Gathers, decorative lace, soft curves and layered panelling were all incorporated in the robes. We also worked with a local embroidery artist to include some information about the journey of the robes and craftspeople involved.”

Indeed, the robes themselves are a love letter to different cultures, designs and techniques.

Speaking about the design, Sharanjit commented on how proud she is to see her personal journey represented:

“Daisy and Eloise put these robes together to reflect what Bath Spa University does best, and that’s social inclusion.

I'm Indian by birth, but I grew up in Southeast Asia, in Singapore. What you see in the robes is this wonderful sari border with mirroring work and sari fabric inside, as well as batik. The robes were produced using Somerset wool, so the design truly reflects and embodies Bath Spa University and the diversity that we celebrate here."