UWE Fashion and Fashion Textiles 2010 Graduate Showcase ­Catwalk

Saturday 22nd May 2010 @ The Passenger Shed, Bristol

I was really excited at the prospect of attending UWE’s graduate fashion showcase, with past students having gone onto work in the industry for renowned designers such as Christopher Kane, Hussein Chalayan and Vivienne Westwood. This year’s students have worked with names such as Marc Jacobs, Ann Demeulemeester and Alexander McQueen. I expected great things, and this showcase didn¹t disappoint. The quality and clarity of the collections made it hard for me to believe that as I was watched models strutting their stuff, they were wearing garments designed and cut by graduating students.

Over 40 designers presented their work in mens and womenswear ranging from oversized and overzealous knitwear to intricate print and lattice effects to minimalist, sometimes sinister futuristic designs. We saw block colours, structure and beautiful layering and cutting from Camilla Probert whose amazing work wouldn¹t look out of place on Bond Street. Jessica Hart created 60’s-like short dresses in bright, pink, yellow, blue quirky playful prints that sat against oversized beads twisted in material around the neck. Zoe Davidson showcased fierce models in parachute pants, biker boots and t-shirts embellished with knitted and printed initials that had a Tokyo feel to the collection.

My favourite collections had to be menswear, slick, slick slick! Oana Balan and Lauren Macaulay delivered on strong narrative concepts, with Macaulay choosing a brave approach inspired by the ‘Outlaw’ in American society. The colours were inspired by the desert-like, tarnished and faded penitentiary colours, the oranges and browns setting off against the blue of the sky, with some of the models wearing nooses around their necks. I’ve chosen to comment on a few designers’ work that really stood out for me, but I have to say I’d love to shout about them all if I had more time and more word count.

There is no doubt that the designers showcased will be gainfully employed, even in this current economic climate. And there is no doubt that some of the designers will go on to influence the future of British fashion.

Praise should be given to the tutors of this course because they have made an effort to ensure that the work easily translates into buyable and ready-to-wear garments, creative and innovative, but at the same time keeping one eye on the commercial sector ensuring the future success of the graduates. There is another opportunity to see the graduate¹s work at Graduate Fashion Week, with the catwalk show taking place on 6th June at 7pm at Earls Court 2.

www.bristolfashionshow.tumblr.com

Annette Sloly