Meet Tamera Francis, a fashion textiles graduate from Middlesex University. Tamera’s graduate collection is inspired by her mother and aunts making their clothing at home before going out dancing. The clothes were made quickly and creatively, often falling apart on the dancefloor. Tamera’s knitwear design explores this through dropped lace holes, laddering, experimenting with yarns such as elastics and viscose. She wants to bring more fun to fashion design as well as continue celebrating and exploring her culture through fashion.

Meet Natasha Solanki, a former Manchester Metropolitan university graduate who finished university in 2019. She is now working for a fashion supplier as a junior fashion designer and developer, does freelance design work on the side and is also launching her own brand! She plans to take her graduate collection and design it into a more commercial offering, while keeping sustainability in mind through every aspect of her young business.

Meet Kyra Clarke-Campbell, a fashion styling and creative direction graduate from Southampton Solent University. Kyra’s final year project is a photo book called Uncover(ed) where she has shot a series of subjects that examines culture, fashion trends, personal style and more. “My main message was to be comfortable in you own skin and your sense of style,” she says. “Not having to dress 'down' for anymore or not having the right look for a work place. As a creative i think you should be free to experiment with looks and different styles.”

Meet Adora Lutu, a fashion design and textiles graduate from the University of Portsmouth. Adora’s final year project is a collection called MVMNT, a unisex sportswear offering inspired by Adora’s interest in politics. She explores knife crime, blending streetwear influences from around the world into one collection. Read more about Adora and her work below.

Meet Alarna Foster, a first year student studying Fashion Branding and Communication at Birmingham City University. Alarna’s most recent project was to create a campaign for a brand of her choice, with a focus on communicating a narrative using creative direction and visual literacy. She chose Pyer Moss, the New York based label by designer Kerby Jea- Raymond. Alarna has been influenced by the current social climate, including the Black Lives Matter Movement, COVID-19 pandemic and other cultural issues she feels passionately about.

Meet Sayf Taj, who graduated from Manchester School of Art in 2019 with a BA in fashion art direction. Sayf was a runner up for the Fashion Publication Award at Graduate Fashion Week 2019 for his work celebrating the Queer South Asian he is a member of. Meeting members of the community around the UK inspired Sayf’s final year project “Discreet” as he creative directed, styled and even photographed his subjects.

Meet Yumnah Khan, a fashion design graduate of Birmingham City Univeristy. Yumnah’s final collection is a menswear offering that explores the duality of nature and industrialism, called All Traces of Man. Blending traditional tailoring with sportswear, Yumnah’s collection features knitwear, prints and corrugated fabrics.

Meet Shahfaq Shahbaz, a stylist and photographer who graduated from Southampton Solent University in 2019. Shahfaq is inspired by her Pakistani heritage and Muslim faith in the work she does, aiming to promote greater representation of Muslim women in the fashion industry — whether it’s in marketing campaigns or the catwalk. “Black Muslim women face numerous daily battles (racism, colourism, sexism and Islamophobia) and my work aims to highlight their beauty in their existence despite these awful perceptions and stereotypes of Black women,” says Shahfaq.

Meet Asma Elmi, a fashion promotion graduate from the University of South Wales. Asma’s final project is Al Naaem — an editorial magazine exploring the diverse culture within the black and Muslim community, through articles and poetry which compliments & celebrates the rising cultural diversity within the fashion industry. Alongside the magazine, Asma aims to support young Black and Muslim creatives in Wales through events and a community that has a strong identity. Read more about Asma’s work below!

Meet Kim Chau, a fashion textiles graduate from Middlesex University. Kim’s graduate collection is called Androgynous Army, and is inspired by WWI and exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum in London. Although it’s a menswear collection, Kim wants the collection to appeal to anyone through its pastel colour palette and textiles which digitally weave florals and military camouflage. Read more about Kim and her work below!

Meet Ama Avoh, a fashion textiles graduate of Middlesex university. Ama’s final year collection explores a variety of themes, from her French and West African heritage to her love of comic books. “As a mixed-media knitwear designer, I created knitted and embroidered textiles that the celebrate the rich aesthetic of my mixed-race background as well as tongue-in-cheek energy of comic book superheroes,” she says. Read on to learn more about Ama and her work!

Meet Mathushaa Sagthidas, a design and media graduate from Ravensbourne university. Mathushaa’s work is inspired by her Sri Lankan heritage and her desire to understand her parents’ experience of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Her journey of discovering more about her family history, Tamil cultural traditions and the Hindu religion have taught her to embrace rather than hide these aspects of her life, especially as a young Londoner. Read on to learn more about Mathushaa and her work.

Meet Alisha Kumar, a fashion design graduate from Nottingham Trent University. Alisha’s work is inspired by her Punjabi heritage and the culture clash of traditional Sikh clothing with sportswear. Exploring the idea of heaven, and what it means to her, Alisha’s collection is called “From God’s Own Junkyard.” “The contrast of contemporary and tradition continued throughout my prints and colour palette, using deep tonal colours such as purple and navy with the bashful green and pink hues which I extracted from my initial imagery,” she says. “Overall, I wanted my collection to be a celebration of my Indian heritage and its rich and vibrant culture, but with a fun and playful twist.”

Meet Alex Mpankuli, a fashion design student from Liverpool John Moores University. Alex’s project is called Anthony Caro Structures, and is inspired by two series of work (Seven Decades and The Park Avenue series) by sculptural artist Antony Caro. A six piece womenswear collection, Antony Caro Structures explores Alex’s interpretation of feminine beauty.

Meet Nishan Greyson, a makeup and hair design graduate from Southampton Solent University. Nishan’s final year project, a children’s eBook, aims to celebrate black girls’ hair and encourage them to embrace their natural beauty. Nishan has also created a book focusing on Caribbean culture and food which intends to share the rich and diverse culture of the region with its audience. Read on to learn more about Nishan and her work!

Meet Kiara Oluyole, a fashion design graduate at Nottingham Trent University. Kiara’s work is inspired by the Black soldiers who fought for the British Empire during world conflicts, and the subsequent erasure of that history. Grime culture and youth culture both play a role in her work, looking at the consumption and relationship with Black culture historically and in the present day.

Meet Jessica Anderson, a graduate from Sheffield Hallam University. Jessica’s graduate project is called Lesson 1: Buy the ticket- Take the ride’ and explores the life of anti-heroes and outcasts. Inspired by the down-trodden characters in films like Train Spotting and Fear and Loathing, her message is simple: don’t quit.

Meet Simran Kanda, a freelance fashion stylist and photographer who has worked at London Fashion Week since graduating from Leeds Arts University. Simran is passionate about opening up the fashion industry to a more diverse array of people. Her work often focuses on her heritage as a Punjabi woman, and her relationship with culture, family, religion and representation.