The University of Westminster, which produced two fashion East stars Ashley Williams and Claire Barrow last year, kicked off the graduate season with stunning works by 17 students.
Westminster might have been a bit less famous than CSM or RCA in terms of fashion design, but this year's show was must-see, because of the fact that last year's show saw the debut of Ashley Williams and Claire Barrow, who successfully launched their own labels and went to Fashion East. And actually the show was strong enough to present the creativity of the university.
One of the greatest strengths of those students is that they all have experienced some internships in international fashion labels, including Alexander McQueen, Ann Demeulemeester, Bally, Burberry, Celine, Donna Karan, Givenchy, Haider Ackermann, Iris Van Herpen, J.W.Anderson, Lanvin, Meadham Kirchhoff, Proenza Schouler, Roksanda Ilincic and Stella Mccartney. That would be the reason why it seemed that some students were ready to set up their label immediately, balancing creativity and commerciality.
The key trends in the show were colour and volume fusing different fabrics, such as Lisa Clayton's pink&silver crushed dress, Sarah Dowling's fairytale layered dress, Chloe Bayles' neon-coloured futuristic jacket, and Philli Wood's cable knit printed parka.
Louise Alsop and Victoria Rowe brought gothic mood into skater girls and couture respectively, and Tom Guy's holographic flower works and Sophie Nuttall's notebook dresses accented the runway by their experimental approaches.
The strongest menswear designer was Aaron Tubb, who showed his youth culture aesthetics by layered sportswear with russian slogans, and also Dominik Chapman's MA-1 cape was a striking piece.
The full runway show video and students' portfolio are available here.
ChloeBayles | Aaron Tubb
Louise Alsop | Lisa Clayton
Victoria Rowe | Sarah Dowling
Tom Guy | Sophie Nuttall
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First photo: Philli Wood | Dominik Chapman