Viewing entries tagged
GFW18

THE INFLUENCE OF THE NEW ROMANTICS ON MARCUS DEAVILLE

THE INFLUENCE OF THE NEW ROMANTICS ON MARCUS DEAVILLE

Marcus Deaville, student at Birmingham City University, was recently awarded the newly created ASOS Future Talent Design Award for Level 5 students at GFW 2018. Taking inspiration from the New Romantic movement of the 80’s that encapsulated the styles and music of Adam Ant and Boy George, his illustrations and menswear designs took the ASOS teams by storm.

FROM PUNK AESTHETICS TO RAVE CULTURE IN THE 1990'S WITH CHARLOTTE HELEY

FROM PUNK AESTHETICS TO RAVE CULTURE IN THE 1990'S WITH CHARLOTTE HELEY

Charlotte designed her menswear collections using inspiration from Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the retro beach setting for coach. Read how Charlotte used the pastel colour palette taken from Beate Gutschow’s work, to create a straightforward and relaxed Spring Summer collection with a delicate 70s touch.

AWARD WINNING SWIMWEAR DESIGNER LUCY NOLAN ON SUSHI INSPIRED PRINTS

AWARD WINNING SWIMWEAR DESIGNER LUCY NOLAN ON SUSHI INSPIRED PRINTS

Lucy Nolan, graduate of Northumbria University, won the Boux Avenue Swimwear Award at the 27th Graduate Fashion Week this summer! We caught up with the emerging swimwear designer to hear more about how the technicians at Northumbria expanded her skill set, aiding her creative development, and why marketing goes hand in hand with design. 

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NOTTINGHAM TRENT GRADUATE

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NOTTINGHAM TRENT GRADUATE

Whilst at GFW18, NTU graduate Emma Mitchell spent her time at her university stand, in the catwalk hall and exploring the exhibition space. After being selected as finalist for the Fashion Marketing Award, Emma reminds us of her day at Graduate Fashion Week, in this 'My Day At GFW' diary. 

CONSIDERING SUSTAINABILITY AND ETHICAL DESIGN WITH SASKIA LENAERTS

CONSIDERING SUSTAINABILITY AND ETHICAL DESIGN WITH SASKIA LENAERTS

Encouraged by the discovery that the West's problematic relationship to clothing has a damaging environmental and social effect upon the rest of the world, Saskia Lenaerts began to design with a particular consciousness. Recognising the multi-cultural world in which we live, Saskia used her creative pursuits to explore the remnants of colonisation, otherness, the way in which we form our identity.  

THE COMPLEXITIES OF FASHION AND ART WITH LAUREN ROBERTS

THE COMPLEXITIES OF FASHION AND ART WITH LAUREN ROBERTS

We caught up with the winner of the first ever Level 4 ASOS Future Talent Communications Award winner Lauren Roberts, to hear more about her photography and styling projects, and her university experience so far. From finding endless inspiration in modern female magazine The Gentlewoman to the relationship between art and fashion, find out what inspires the emerging stylist and why network network network is always on her mind...

ALICE KIERNANDER ON FINDING INSPIRATION IN OBSCURE PLACES

ALICE KIERNANDER ON FINDING INSPIRATION IN OBSCURE PLACES

We caught up with the emerging designer to find out how her time at Arts University Bournemouth taught her to have more self confidence, learning to use the Lectra software and why she chose to go out of her comfort zone with her designs...

KNITWEAR, PRINTS AND ICONOGRAPHY BACKSTAGE AT THE GALA SHOW

KNITWEAR, PRINTS AND ICONOGRAPHY BACKSTAGE AT THE GALA SHOW

The final show, the scuttling to seats, the whispers of excitement, it must be the Gala Show. The most prestigious catwalk of the 4-day event revealed multiple designs, styles and techniques fashioned into the selected designers collections.

SHOE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND PROTOTYPES WITH CHARLES MEIN

SHOE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND PROTOTYPES WITH CHARLES MEIN

Charles Mein, the winner of the Clarks Footwear Award, is a young designer with an unusual back story. From redoing first year to learning how to see the world through a creatives eyes, Mein's design philosophy is one of constant learning, growing and expanding underpinned by hard work and focus. 

DANQI CHEN, THE BEIJING BASED AWARD WINNING DESIGNER

DANQI CHEN, THE BEIJING BASED AWARD WINNING DESIGNER

Each year, Graduate Fashion Week holds an international catwalk competition, this year titled the Swarovski International Fashion Award. Danqi Chen, hailing from Beijing, won the award at GFW18, with her thoughtful and structural pieces. We caught up with the emerging designer to hear more about her cultural inspirations, plans to work in Paris and her advice for future talent. 

INTERNATIONAL DESIGNERS AT GRADUATE FASHION WEEK 2018

INTERNATIONAL DESIGNERS AT GRADUATE FASHION WEEK 2018

The International Fashion Award Show 2018 saw a stimulating array of designs and incredible talent. The award show, sponsored by Swarovski, named the winner Danqi Chen from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. Chen showcased a collection of animated pieces that displayed true craftsmanship and imagination. Bold yellow and scarlet red ankle-length trench coats were paired with matching accessories that projected a playful but minimalist feeling. Oversized puffer coats created irregular silhouettes and worked alongside the innovative headwear that won her the prestigious award. 

Photography by Deborah Smith

 

Bao Wen Chen’s intricate designs demonstrated a reinvention of artistic flare within pattern. His rebellious designs contrasting one another were an example of how awe-inspiring the talent within this award. The eye-catching shapes and designs of Surya Pratap Singh were distinctive and bold. The primary coloured collection introduced avant garde silhouettes and ideas surrounding body image and gender. The bright red pieces had accents of colour to illustrate female body parts that were embodied as part of the cloth. 

The experimentation of texture and colour by these designers was exciting to witness as the designers from renowned Asian Universities and schools across Europe brought a assortment of forward-thinking concepts and contemporary designs.

 

Words by Ellie Pinder

USING FASHION TO PROTEST - A TALE FROM GFW18

USING FASHION TO PROTEST - A TALE FROM GFW18

Through 2017-18 we have seen a dramatic rise in the catwalk being used as a space for protest. From Public School standing against Trump in their AW17 show to Vivienne Westwood showing a fashion film with an underlying Brexit theme in place of a catwalk at her 2018 London Fashion Week Men’s show, protest has been a talking point for fashion. Political challenges shone through in many of the collections we had the chance to view at GFW18, indicating that the catwalk will continue to be a stage for creatives to express their political opinions through their art. 

ELIZABETH WELLAND ON HER TIME IN THE DEBENHAMS STUDIO

ELIZABETH WELLAND ON HER TIME IN THE DEBENHAMS STUDIO

At Graduate Fashion Week 2018, design graduates were given the opportunity to pitch their work to Henry Holland, in order to win a two week placement at Debenhams, in the graphic t-shirt department. Elizabeth Welland impressed the pop art designer with her prints, inspirations and concepts and was named the winner of the placement!