Young Fashion Designer Fen Sees Winning ‘Uniform of The Future’ Brought to Life

Eleven-year-old Fen McIlwraith’s innovative ideas were made a reality by LNER uniform supplier Dimensions, who produced the made-to-measure attire for the budding fashion designer from Tyneside to wear. 

The art competition was part of the Railway 200 celebrations, commemorating the bicentenary of the world’s first passenger railway, the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Entrants up to the age of 11 were asked to create their own design of a uniform for railway workers of the future, while thinking about sustainability, safety, and practicality.  

The multi-functional colourful features of Fen’s design stood out for the judges. Fen’s orange Station Assistant uniforms incorporated virtual reality glasses that display up-to-date information, and a jetpack for speedy travel around the station. 

Fen also included of a number of practical elements, such as zip-off trousers and sleeves, so that the uniform could be worn in both the summer and winter.  

After seeing her drawings come to life, Fen McIlwraith, said: “It looked just like my designs, it was amazing! I’ve had so much fun getting to wear the uniform, I feel proud of how it turned out. I’m really into making my own my clothes, I can’t wait to keep working on different designs in the future.” 

Chris Healy, Standards and Development Manager at LNER, said: “After seeing the process from the original designs through to the production process, presenting Fen with her uniform and seeing the smile on her face was a special moment. There’s been lots of events happening across our route as part of the Railway 200 celebrations, but this was a great thing to be a part of.” 

“Uniform plays a massive part for everyone who works on the railway, so it was great to see Fen’s attention to detail and consideration for how it would be worn by staff.” 

Barbara Tomczak, Design Director at Dimensions, said: “The team here at Dimensions loved making Fen’s futuristic uniform a reality. There were many great entries, but Fen’s consideration of sustainability, practicality, and technology really jumped out to me. Who knows, maybe we’ll see some of her ideas in designs of the future!”