Students steer BMW

When a car dealership in Hampshire decided to move into selling clothes, it asked for help from second-year students at Winchester School of Art.

Undergraduates on the fashion degree course were asked to produce merchandise designs and marketing reports for the BMW "Lifestyle" leisurewear and accessories range at Scotthall BMW.

The showroom is offering a cash prize for the best design and marketing project and sponsorship worth £4,000 for the college. It will also host an end-of-year exhibition of the student's work.

Marcus Biggs, programme leader for the undergraduate fashion degree and a practising designer, said: "The school believes that fashion is a design product. We marry the creative with the practical. The link with BMW marries the creative with engineering."

Mr Biggs added: "It is important that students are aware that their product has to be sold and must appeal to a specialised market."

Mr Biggs said that he hoped the partnership would become "a long-term relationship... so that they come to us for help with merchandising in the future".

There are also plans for a group of students to paint a BMW car and create art for the showroom.

Paul Atkinson, dealer principal at Scotthall, said: "We wanted to create a more interesting environment in the showroom, not just cars."

BMW launched the range of branded goods and clothing about 18 months ago.