Help Ayham Stay at Central Saint Martins

Hello everyone,

 

My name is Ayham Hassan Musleh and I am a Palestinian fashion design student majoring in Womenswear at Central Saint Martins. I am starting this GoFundMe page in order to finance the tuition fee and living costs of my second year.

 

You can view my PORTFOLIO here

 

Instagram @ayham_hassan_99

The Palestinian Designer Crowdfunding his Way Into Education_1 Granary Magazine

 

Central Saint Martins is one of the world’s leading art schools, especially known for its reputation in high-class fashion education. The school has won several BoF’s Global Fashion School rankings since its launch. Central Saint Martins has some of the highest admission standards, and an amazing fashion education resource, one of the best tutors in the industry, and having a very creative platform in the fashion industry that will enable me to challenge and help raise the often-overlooked Palestinian identity in design and global industries.

I'm so thankful for all the support the community has been giving me since the last year, I am currently seeking financial assistance towards the fees and expenses for my second year as Any contribution towards that amount would be very helpful.

 

First of all, I want to say a word of gratitude for all the continuous support I have received in the last year. From portfolio consulting to having a feature published on Dazed, I am beyond grateful for anyone who supported me on this journey. Since having the opportunity to study at Central Saint Martins, my life has not been the same again. As mentioned, there is unfortunately no financial support from the university. That’s why I am starting this fundraiser- every little helps.

 

The funds that will be raised with this fundraiser (see expenses breakdown below) will be paid directly to Central Saint Martins in order to cover the named costs. The amount I am raising will allow me to stay in London and continue my fashion design studies at CSM.

I want to raise as much capital as I possibly can, since it is difficult paying the raising fees in order to stay enrolled in CSM as an international student. I also greatly appreciate anyone who spreads the word about this. I received so much support last year for my first-year funding from the community that believes that everyone should have the right to study what they want to.

My work showcases a critical as well as analytical response to my upbringing in Palestine. I grew up under Israeli military occupation, so fashion represents so much more than just a dress or form of expression for me. It is a means of protection. Whilst many wish to stand out, the whole point in my country is to blend in, be camouflaged, and therefore be protected- sometimes from society, but always from the military occupation. For that reason, I want to reflect this in my garments whilst challenging the industry.

 

 

 

 

 

As a designer, I aim to transform and re-design this reality by challenging it through fashion. I believe that design is a source of power and manifests a better world. My work disrupts the fabric of constructed life and encourages people to confront concerns in our Arab and Palestinian communities. Experiencing a colonialist, apartheid, and capitalist occupation made me realize that my world will never experience “normality” again. Fashion was my way to fantasize about a new normal, enabling me to re-imagine that new world.

 

Throughout my first-year design education at CSM, I have been able to explore different perspectives and ways to construct my design process through experimentation, research, and conceptual development to elaborate on my perspectives. I have learned and accomplished a lot since I started my first year in London, and want to continue to learn more. For example, my work was featured in Vogue Arabia in February 2021 and I was a finalist in the prestigious Sarabande foundation (the Lee Alexander MacQueen foundation) and was honored to be interviewed by Daniel Roseberry the artistic director of Schiaparelli. I want to use my time at one of the world’s most prestigious fashion schools in the world to highlight my experience and culture as an Arab and a Palestinian fashion designer.

 

 

[email redacted]

 

You can view my PORTFOLIO here

 

 

Photographer @morganhjack

Model: @christybrooksd

 

Your support will allow me to have the guidance, knowledge, technology, facilities, and space I need to make a change in the world through my work. I have so much to give, and this degree will prepare me to make a real impact.

 

I'm looking forward to pursuing my education in fashion design, concentrating on developing my creative narrative while focusing on experimental and artistic research. Acquiring this degree will allow me to challenge the design scene in Palestine by building on traditional techniques to develop new sustainable methods for production. That is to help raise the design and industrial independence in Palestine and integrate the often-overlooked Palestinian identity into the global industry.

 

Thank you so much. It means the world to me.

 

Here is the expense breakdown: