The Westminster runway show heralded the start of the graduate fashion season on 23 May at P3 in Central London, revealing their exciting and diverse work to press and invited industry guests.
The 2017 graduates are a dynamic mix reflecting many individual styles ranging from bold and eccentric to subtle and covetable. Womenswear collections this year included Ian Richardson’s witty mix of 60’s fashion style and 70’s domestic consumerism, Una Hayde’s delicate, layered feminine pieces, contrasted with Natasha Peacock’s take on sporty pioneers and Rachel Rissetto’s modern, eccentric glamour. Equally diverse and exciting, the menswear this year includes Jasper McGilvray’s fun flamboyance - mashing up traditional Northern notions of masculine and feminine, Aimee Determann’s subversion of protective utilitarian clothing, Nicholas Yip’s fierce, controlled and decorative menswear, and Elliot Kinney’s outlandish, printed body-con.
The class of 2017 have benefitted from an impressive and varied international industry experience, interning with Louis Vuitton, Kenzo, Bernhard Wilhelm, Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Adidas, Marc Jacobs, Gap, Tom Ford, Puma, Iris Van Herpen, H&M, Christopher Kane, Simone Rocha, Molly Goddard and Anya Hindmarch.
The BA (Hons) Fashion Design course at Westminster continually produces creative designers of the highest calibre - last year’s graduates are now employed by prestigious international companies, including Loewe, Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Celine, J W Anderson, MaxMara, Norse Projects, Erdem, and Tom Ford.
Westminster has produced many designers who bring their talent to London Fashion Week - Ashley Williams, Liam Hodges, and Roberta Einer continues to make an impact. Previous alumni with also include Christopher Bailey, Chief Creative Officer of Burberry and Stuart Vevers, Creative Director of Coach. The course regularly gathers praise for the quality of teaching, internships and outstanding facilities, and most recently scooped both The Fashion Monitor Outstanding Portfolio Award and The WGSN Fashion Illustration Award at the 2017 BFC Graduate Preview Day.
Andrew Groves, Course Director of the University of Westminster's BA (Hons) Fashion Design, said:
“This year’s graduates have shown a diverse and eclectic range of influences which has led to a variety of exceptionally creative final runway collections. The time the students have spent with a range of international design houses during the course has been a truly enriching and rewarding experience for them. However, they remain fiercely focussed on their very personal vision of where they see fashion’s future lying.”
Judges who selected this year’s graduate collections for the runway show included designer Cozette McCreery, Natasha Booth from Fashion East, menswear journalist Charlie Porter and fashion stylist and consultant Julian Ganio.
Guests at the Westminster Fashion Runway Show 2017 included Sarah Mower from Vogue, and Charlie Porter from The Financial Times, as well as other journalists from Dazed, Business of Fashion, LOVE, Man about Town, and Hunger TV. Also watching where designers and recruiters from Celine, Fiorucci, Topshop, Roksanda, Gap, E.Tautz, Burberry, H&M and Tom Ford.
The University of Westminster Graduate Fashion show has been supported by Regent Street and St James’s London. Both the Regent Street and St James areas of London, managed by The Crown Estate, have a long association with the fashion industry, being commercial, educational and industrial hubs for the creative industry.
The University of Westminster will also host its Fashion Portfolio Day at The Ace Hotel, Shoreditch on 5 June 2017. The showcase provides an excellent opportunity for the fashion industry to meet with graduates and view first-hand the work of tomorrow’s fashion designers today. All of this year’s graduate portfolios will be available to view, covering all areas of design: menswear, womenswear, sportswear, and accessories.