UCA Rochester’s audience was arguably some of the best dressed so far, with colour and accessories in abundance. There were some familiar faces amongst them too, including Jamie Windust, a 2018 GFW award winner who has made a huge name for themselves thanks to their activism.
The students of UCA Rochester exceeded expectations, with a whole host of collections that took us around the world on a major culture trip.
There were Japanese inspired gowns from Gabriella Christian, in a range of sunny colours, with a nod to classic kimono sleeves.
Lauren Jones’ collection of bold florals and oversized headpieces walked down the catwalk to Latin-inspired music, which gave the pieces a summery feel.
Sally Mankee’s looks had a beautiful Parisian feel, complete with oversized umbrella, pink and black tones and a whimsical blue and white life-sized dog shaped bag that was wheeled alongside the first look.
Rounding off our trip around the globe was Elizabeth Whibley’s bold, colourful and whimsical collection, full of prints and clashing colours which fitted perfectly with her musical choice of Mini Viva’s “Left My Heart in Tokyo”.
Colour was also a running theme amongst the collections, with some opting for all out, in-your-face palettes, whilst others stuck to monochrome with splashes of colour to tie them together, such as Tamsin Coasby’s show-closing collection. Oversized puffer coats, trousers and jackets were her stand-out pieces, including a floor-sweeping exaggerated quilted jacket and a one-armed boxy outerwear garment.
Cherly McQuaid, a make-up artist who collaborated with UCA Rochester to put together their lookbooks summed up their talent perfectly with a succinct; “These guys are the real deal”, and she expressed how important it was to have collections and collaborations like this in the industry. UCA Rochesters show was a whirlwind of self-expression and the looks were truly one of a kind.
Written by Faith Richardson
Photography by Mathushaa Sagthidas, Jade Berry and Olivia Ferrera-Forbes.