Graduating student releases a love song to Brighton

Sadie's Love Song to Brighton was released the day after she received her degree at the Brighton Centre – part of the University's first in-person summer graduation ceremonies since 2019. Sadie, who has been writing and performing her own music since she was 15, moved to Brighton & Hove from her native Devon in 2019 to study BA (Hons) textiles design with business studies at the university, after visiting for an open day and falling in love immediately with both the course and the city.

The song name checks some of the favourite things Sadie has enjoyed during her degree studies. Alongside the city's vibrant inclusive community and the shops of North Laine, Sadie writes about the starling formations around the piers – which also inspired the tile work adorning the facade of the University of Brighton's Elm House on Lewes Road, the new home of its School of Business and Law.

For her graduation degree show staged earlier this summer at the University's City Campus on Grand Parade – and still available to view online – Sadie served up a bright and bold reinvention of bridal wear by adding colourful prints and Victorian-inspired floral decorations to traditional white wedding garments, to create something striking but very personal that could be worn again: “Like people renew vows, this allows people to renew their sentimental wedding garments," says Sadie. "It creates a new life for bridal wear that can be worn to other special occasions, instead of being left in the attic never to be seen again."

Sadie reinvented traditional bridal wear for her degree show: “I have really enjoyed my time at University of Brighton. I have made so many friends, and the lectures have been so inspiring. It has also been lovely to step outside of the Grand Parade building to walk just a few minutes to the seafront. And with my printed textiles degree, I am going to make bespoke merchandise for my music and carry on designing other prints and fabrics. Alongside the release of Love Song to Brighton I'm planning to do a lot more writing, and I'd love to do a little tour. I've got a lot of festivals and gigs this summer.”

Love Song To Brighton is available on Spotify, Apple Music and other platforms.