The Birmingham City University catwalk show captivates the ambition and confidence that the university strives for. Each collection was a clear reflection of the graduate’s personal direction and their ambitions within the fashion industry. The collections show the combination of creativity and commercial realism that the university aims for whilst displaying the graduate’s skills and knowledge of the industry.
Prom was an obvious influence in Toni Rowels’ collection. Toni created a collection of menswear that included oversized shirts, waistcoats and tailing in white and red material. Toni’s personal direction was clear in his creation of red veils partnered with traditional tailoring. The influence of space was apparent in Marriyah Hussain’s work. Marriyah used earthy tones and natural prints to create a collection that resembled the surface of the planets. Whilst being heavily influenced by the planets, the colour electric blue was introduced modernising the collection.
Hanah Victoria’s collection enticed an applaud from the crowd. Her collection contained children’s wear which prints were inspired by children’s illustrations. The confidence of the children pleased the crowd a long with the detail and talent shown in the collection. There was a mix of multi-coloured heavy knits in Lola Downing’s collection. Her line showed a mixture of techniques that complimented each other alongside the colour combinations. Whereas, Erin Heeks’ collection displayed a clear racing influence with her use of black and white check and red flames. Within the collection she combines a mixture of fabrics and textures. Red and black PVC often occur within the collection as well as, red fur and white PVC.
Birmingham City University’s catwalk collection has shown that the graduates have accomplished in gaining confidence and ambition because they’ve displayed this in their unique work. The work of the 19 graduates defies conventional fashion techniques and design.
Words by Rosie Smith
Photography by Becky Mukerji