The University of Westminster BA Autumn/Winter 2019 runway show on Friday 15th February 2019 marked the second time that the University of Westminster BA has shown on the London Fashion Week schedule. Professor Andrew Groves radical rethink of how fashion education is delivered has meant that the Westminster course is aligned with the international fashion calendar. All the students that have shown today at LFW have already worked for some of the worlds best designers and are now ready to launch their own design careers.
Andrew Groves said “I am excited that we are once again showing our students collections at London Fashion Week. Following on from our debut at LFW last year, we are pleased to announce that we will be showing all our graduates A/W19 collections together with their S/S20 precollections in Paris at Espace Commines. This will allow those that wish to build their own brands to develop early relationships with international buyers and stockists before their graduation in June.”
Westminster alumni include Ashley Williams, Roberta Einer, Claire Barrow, Katie Ann McGuigan, Liam Hodges, Christopher Bailey, Vivienne Westwood, and Stuart Vevers.
Georgia Fallon – Fallon’s graduate collection ‘Dyke Sport’ explores butch and femme in lesbian culture, creating a fantasy world. Strong shouldered, dramatic silhouettes embody uncompromising and fierce women; unapologetic in their appearance and sexuality. Psychedelic sportswear, layered high-shine plastic, printed, laser cut Perspex and hand painted fabrics make a bold impact. Internships: Thom Brown, Simone Rocha.
Oscar Doak – An ode to love, loss and heartache, inspired by Scottish landscapes of painter Alexander Nasmyth, and the poetry of Robert Burns, Oscar Doak creates a darkly dramatic collection. Wool and cashmere are used with black patent leather, latex and ‘barely there’ technical synthetics. Tartan is subverted through printing on mesh to create misty, blurred effects evocative of rain-soaked scenes. Internship: Chanel.
Glenn Wigham – Inspired by ‘Operation Pedestal’ the mission that saved the besieged island of Malta during WW2, Wigwam’s menswear features striking, ‘dazzle camouflage’ prints. Cutting is influenced by archival naval garments, reflecting the chaos of combat. Complex, artisan surfaces are key: appliqued raw-edge fabric fragments attached with disrupted, decorative stitching, complementing cracked and ‘weathered’ prints.
Internships: Ellen Pedersen, Underground.
Bruna Ignatowska – Ignatowska’s debut collection is a comic take on romantic ideals: poking fun at the often ridiculous, ‘cheesy’ aspects of love and liaisons. Bruna’s long-standing obsession to create colourful, decorative textiles, inspires complex pieces in a riot of bright and bold colour. Internships: Simone Rocha, Viktor & Rolf, Shrimps.
James Harjette – Clever construction techniques and practical details inspire Harjette who also creates unique fabrics with rich, tactile surfaces. Using the reverse side of some cloths, overprinting, flocking and incorporating vintage finds, Harjette creates exciting yet understated textiles. References include workwear and archival military pieces, science fiction and the Wild West. Internships: Matthew Miller, Tom Ford, Haider Ackerman.
Louisa Yung – Inspired by the erotic illustrations of Toshio Saeki, Yung’s collection investigates innocent curiosity and daring vulgarity. Rejecting ideals of submissive women in erotic art, her fluid illustrations feature constrained and obedient men. Print, embroidery, and hand-cut PVC decoration are used for explicit imagery. Hand-dyed lace contrasts with unforgiving PVC, using 80s boudoir and fetish-wear influences. Internships: Roksanda, Christopher Kane, Erdem.
Lidiia Pyshna – Pyshna’s ‘Red’ collection celebrates powerful, women. The resilience of Lidiia’s own mother is a major influence and the power of giving birth to new life. 30s cinema icons are referenced – female pioneers Marlene Dietrich and Lee Miller refusing to comply with Hollywood femininity. Blood-red, symbolic of strength, suffering and passion is used for wool and leather, contrasted with transparent mesh printed dresses and tops. Internships: Preen.
Linda Zhuang – Zhuang’s graduate collection looks at innocence and identity and the process of altering personas. Tailoring forms a strong masculine influence, contrasted with many references to the ultra-feminine and ‘anti-sexy’ Japanese Lolita subculture. Traditional, high-quality menswear fabrics particularly stripes are used in delicate colouring, punctuated with black and featuring knots, ties and bows. Internships: Proenza Schouler, Celine.
Jade Goodwin – Exploration of the great masculine renunciation of the 1800s inspires Goodwin’s collection. Victorian etchings are referenced in prints for shirting and jacket linings. Soft natural fabrics of wool, cotton and denim in muted earth tones are lightened with fresh sky blue. Slim silhouettes merge the traditional with the new: the trench and tailcoat are referenced to create striking, uncompromising shapes. Internships: Alexander McQueen, Aitor Throup.
Anna McKernan – McKernan’s vibrant menswear fuses energy and attitude from punk and reggae to create her anarchic, youthful, exciting collection. Rich colour and hand-crafted surface decoration is drawn from Anna’s Indian heritage and 70’s youth culture and rebellion in Britain. Internships: Matthew Miller, Martine Rose.
Annelise De Swart – Inspired by the distinctive style of 80’s music icon Sade, De Swart’s collection exudes effortless elegance. Oversized, refined silhouettes combine versatility, comfort and sophistication. Thoughtful, draped pieces can all be tied in different ways to reflect the mood of the wearer. Internships: Roksanda, Chalayan.
Emily Collier – Collier’s striking collection celebrates her experimental creative cutting. Sculptural pieces in organza and lightweight nylon are made up of complex arcs, creating surreal, ‘animated’ gowns. Neat, slim-fitting puffa jackets and tight jersey pieces make a sharp contrast. Inspired by the environmental crisis, strange natural phenomena, and surrealist photography, as well as 60’s Utopian architecture. Internships: Marc Jacobs, Erdem.
Isabel MacInnes – MacInnes’s menswear is developed from her playful 3D process. Exploring childhood gestures – kids distorting clothes into singular, temporary shapes, with exaggerated hood shapes a key feature. The brightness of school sports kits and summer holidays are used for nylon, jersey and denim and contrasted with sober grey suiting – recalling constraints of school uniform and the world of work.
Internships: JW Anderson, Rushemy Botter, Eckhaus Latta.
Eduardo Vegas – Memories of listening to Pink Floyd’s The Wall, during childhood, inspired Vegas’s darkly dramatic menswear collection. Taking the film as inspiration, Vegas creates six looks, which represent a significant figure in his life. Tailoring is subverted with lapels and exaggerated shoulders embodying ‘threatening’ characters – built up in a personal ‘wall’. Internships: Aitor Throup, Berthold.
Melissa Eakin – Eakin’s eccentric Guatemalan cowboy grandfather is a major influence in her collection. Brash 80s colour, ‘Miami Babe’ illustrations and hand painting are used for ‘awkward’ layering, western tailoring, and illustrative knitwear. Guatemalan craftsmen created distinctive warped sombreros, highlighting a rapidly disappearing craft of traditional hat making. Internships: Proenza Schouler, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen.
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