As the awards were handed out at the Gala Show at Graduate Fashion Week 2018, the top 25 graduates held their breath awaiting the results. Aurelie Fontan, graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, was the recipient of the M&S Womenswear Award, with her six piece collection. The designs were dominated by bronze and gold tones, black highlights and a shimmer, with an aesthetic made up from upcycled materials.
Alongside the award, Aurelie won the £5,000 prize and her university, will receive the £1,000 prize that accompanies the award. Aurelie follows in the footsteps of Irene D'Antonio, a fellow graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, who received the award last year.
“My collection is very intricate, I grew my own textile for one of the pieces, I really tried to master the raw and recycled materials I was using”
Aurelie Fontan
Aurelie was presented with three awards, alongside that of the M&S Womenswear Award. Many of the catwalk award criteria look for creativity in terms of craftsmanship, intuitive design concepts, an exceptional ability in cut, colour and fabric choice.
The collection that won the M&S Womenswear Award, Catwalk Textiles Award and Dame Vivienne Westwood Sustainable and Ethical Award sponsored by Levi’s was made up of upcycled, laser-cut dresses with plastic cable ties - counting the trend of fashion as a sustainable political statement.
As we continue to explore the work of the award winners from GFW18, make sure to watch this space to find out what inspired Aurelie.