News / 27 Jun 2025
Student designs featured on Giant Kitten t-shirts
BA (Hons) and MA Animation
BA (Hons) Comic and Concept Art
BA (Hons) Illustration
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Students from across the Univeristy have won a design competition set by local clothing and gift shop Giant Kitten. Their winning designs have been printed on t-shirts which are being sold in the shop, giving the students a platform to showcase their talent.
Giant Kitten is an independent store specialising in kitsch and quirky gifts, situated in the Corn Exchange, Leeds. They are keen supporters of up-and-coming creatives, working in collaboration to produce items sold in store.
Each year Giant Kitten works with Leeds Arts University to give students the opportunity to take part in a competition - this year the brief was to design a cat-based cryptid.
Competition winners and runners up receive a gift voucher: ÂŁ50 for the winner and ÂŁ20 each for the runners-up. Student also receive commission on every item sold with their design on.
The overall competition winner was Lisa Krivov, Foundation Diploma in Art and Design student with their design STAY ODD.
"As someone who really loves Giant Kitten and has shopped there for over four years, it was an amazing opportunity to participate in this competition and then win it. I'm really happy that I got to have my design printed professionally, as I think this gives me some good experience for the kind of work I may want to do in the future. It's also nice that I get to make some money from it. I had a lot of fun making my design and I loved the theme of "Cat Cryptids", since I already love drawing things with cryptid or fantasy themes."
Lisa Krivov, Foundation Diploma in Art and Design student
Joint second place went to Caitlin Williams, BA (Hons) Comic and Concept Art student with their design MEWPACABRA and and Izzy Godney, BA (Hons) Illustration student with their design MEOWTH MAN.
"Having my design printed and sold by Giant Kitten has been such a surreal and exciting experience. Seeing my design professionally printed and sold in a real shop is incredibly thrilling. I’m really grateful to Giant Kitten for the opportunity. It’s not every day you get to work on a creative brief that involves cats and cryptids! The whole experience was fun and supportive, and it’s really helped me feel more confident about pursuing illustration as a career."
Izzy Godney, BA (Hons) Illustration student
Joint third place went to Ella Higgins, BA (Hons) Animation student with their design SERAPHIMEOW and Margot Folch, MA Animation student with their design CACTUS CAT.
“I’m ever so happy to have participated and to have placed so high in the competition! This is a first for me, and having my work professionally printed is such a dream come true. Thanks ever so much for the opportunity.”
Ella Higgins, BA (Hons) Animation student
"We’ve been collaborating with LAU on this competition for a number of years now and it’s always exciting to see what upcoming artists are creating and how they interpret the brief. This year we had more entrants than ever which was great! The winning designs are now on sale in our store and on display in our window and we will be paying commission on all items sold. It’s really important to us that we interact with creatives in the local community and it’s also a chance for artists to experience working with a small business. Congrats to all of the winners and thanks to everyone who submitted a design!"
Carol McPherson, owner of Giant Kitten