Ravensbourne's Jessica Au takes Gold at River Island GFW Gala

Last night the UK fashion industry's cognoscenti decended on Earl's Court 2 for the Graduate Fashion Week Gala, the 17th annual awards ceremony for graduating fashion students. Caryn Franklin, probably one of my formative fashion inspirations, hosted the event, at which River Island CEO Richard Bradbury confirmed a further year's sponsorship of GFW - confirming my earlier blog at the beginning of the week (you heard it hear first, fashion punters!).
Ravensbourne, which had gained plaudits for its show on Sunday, scooped two awards in the form of Jessica Au, who won both the top accolade of the River Island Gold Award and the Zandra Rhodes Catwalk Textiles Award for her menswear collection of wool and satin tailored suits and separates printed with clashing, blown-up floral forms in pinks, purples, reds and whites - kind of a radioactive Paul Smith pushed to its limits.
The winner of the Womenswear Award was Nabil El Nayal, from Manchester School of Art, whose monochrome collection of voluminous Victoriana nightgown, blouses and dresses, as well as high waisted tux trousers in chiffon, satin and cotton had been my personal favourite at that college's show.
Ria Thomas, of Nottingham Trent University, picked up the Pringle of Scotland Visionary Knitwear Award, and quite rightly so - her open knit dresses in sea blue-greys and cream were ultra-sexy, body conscious and innovative, and felt v. pleased with myself for having picked out another winner.
The Menswear Award went to Domingo Rodriguez, who had played with textures and transparencies in his slim-cut tailored collection in black and grey chiffon, knit, leather.
Notably, this year the British Fashion Council came on board as a sponsor, presenting the BFC Creative Cutting Award, developed to encourage technical skills among fashion students - this was won by Tim Rhys Evans, Manchester School of Art, whose toile and final piece was brought on stage to demonstrate his working method.
The fashion promotion and media awards continue to go from strength to strength, as the work entered gets better every year, and the winners are (deep breath!!): Strategic Marketing Award - Thomas Hopkins, University of Central Lancashire; Creative Marketing Award - Emily Bell, Northumbria, Fashion Marketing; Dalziel + Pow Stand Design Award - Northumbria, Fashion Marketing; Jon Adam Portfolio Award - Poppy Diver, Kingston; Society of Dyers and Colourists Award - Laura Fauvel, Ravensbourne; Mulberry Accessories Award - Sarah Kennedy, Northumbria, Fashion; Fashion Innovation Award - Thomas Rothery, Manchester School of Art; National Magazine 'First Word' Journalism Award - Jennifer Weibking, UCCA Epsom (which delivered all the nominees in this category!); and Media and Design Award - Lesley Schofield, University of Salford. Phew! Make a note of those names and these should be the names we are looking out for in the future. I made a note of Thomas Rothery's details, as his collection was ultra-bike friendly, and perfect for the bike catwalk show being planned later this year (the one I was wittering on about yesterday).
A key focus of the GFW team has been to underscore the professionalism of graduates' work, making sure that the global industry sits up, takes notice, and gives as many a job as possible. Certainly, last night's show exuded professionalism, and I have no doubt that each of the 16 design finalists have every chance to make it, as do the finalists in the fashion promotion and media awards, which were presented before the catwalk show. Before this, the potential of the finalists was highlighted with a mini showcase of former GFW graduates' work, with a look from the collections of: Julien Macdonald - 1993, Brighton; Amy Molyneaux, PPQ - 1999, University of Central Lancashire; Thea Bragazzi and Justin Thornton, Preen - 1993, University of Central Lancashire and Winchester, respectively; Richard Nicol - 2002, Central Saint Martins; Giles Deacon - 1992, Central Saint Martins; and Christopher Bailey - 1991, Westminster (he was the first ever GFW Designer of the Year, factfinders!). I really, sincerely hope that some of the names who won yesterday might be in a position to take place in a similar showcase, five, 10, 20 years down the line.
At the champagne reception and the aftershow party, the space was a buzz with positive feeling about the direction that GFW is heading, and also the new venue and iniatives at the event; no doubt it will continue to evolve on the same trajectory.
\\\\ PS. note for diary - bit premature possibly, but - next year's Graduate Fashion Week is set for June 7-11, 2009, same place.

GFW catwalk show: Manchester Metropolitan University

This was the last show of the day and, despite it being a consistently excellent course, I was surprised to see so many empty seats as I would have thought lots more would want to check it out. Perhaps there is call to start the shows earlier in the day - although am sure that after 18 years GFW know what they are doing!
This was another show, like Nottingham Trent, which has a high degree of professionalism. That said, I felt it had more of the humour that was slightly lacking from NTU.
...design highlights to follow...

GFW catwalk show: Edinburgh College of Art

Edinburgh is one of the new kids on the GFW block to some extent, having joined the line up within the last seven years. I am not very familiar with the college, but my understanding is that the fashion course is derived from a strong textiles background - fitting, given the strength of the Scottish textiles industry - and has strong links with its fellow art courses, in inspiration if not fact. It is the only Scottish college to show at the event and takes full advantage of the country's rich textiles tradition - certainly Scotland is keen to promote its wares at LFW, so I imagine (and would hope) that it is also a big supporter of its fashion graduates.
...design highlights to follow...

GFW catwalk show: Nottingham Trent University

Nottingham Trent University, despite consistently churning out A-grade players, remains resolutely under the radar. Perhaps it is the London-centric attitude of the industry, I don't know, but it seems undeserved; interestingly I had met a 2007 NTU graduate at the Fashion Fusion Awards, whose work (and that of a fellow graduate) was superlative; both had found it difficult to make the step into the capital's fashion industry and had had to return north to make some money and get more experience before giving another try.
This show was show stopper after show stopper. There were no chinks in the armour of this showcase. The only downside to this, that I could see, was that with the professionalism there was no room for playfulness; until fairly recently graduates were criticised for the lack of reality in their design approach, but arguably this is what also makes the heart rise while watching graduate shows. Each collection was fabulous, wearable, tangible, but I would have liked one or two that made a strike out into sillliness, even if just a smattering.
With each graduate so proficient, so slick, I didn't envy any of the selection panel for the show, or for the gala as I would imagine it to be a hard task indeed.
...design highlights to follow...

GFW catwalk show: UCCA Epsom

As mentioned on Monday, Epsom is my old stomping ground (at least, as far as university goes), so I always make a point of checking out what they're up to, and make sure I've got a good spot at the catwalk show. Situated a stone's throw (if you call 30 minutes on a train a throw's length) from London, Epsom is nevertheless a market town and have to admit on arrival was underwhelmed by the location. Since I graduated the town has had something of a boomtime, but if it's still as it was when I left, the upside of going to college somewhere like Epsom is that the camaraderie between students is tight (not least because if there's a party everyone's there) and the lecturers attentive without mollycoddling.
The catwalk show presented a good mix, from the more stark to the frivolous, but the cut, finish and attention to detail was pretty consistent. Every year, the textile element of the design becomes more accomplished -something which I feel is an imperative of good design.
...design highlights to follow...

More on Graduate Fashion Week...

I came home from Graduate Fashion Week laden down with various paraphenalia picked up during the course of day three of the event. I am now proud owner of a new perfume, a toothbrush, a sketchbook, a calico bag (yet another!), Jelly Belly beans (yum!), and various magazines and brochures. All of this is exciting material, but I can't help think that all the money spent should be injected more directly into supporting the teaching and content of the courses; while, to play devil's advocate, the other part of me know how important it is that the courses and their students are marketed as innovatively as possible, especially in this era of excess information. Speaking of which, I found fame in the GFW Daily - as am featured in the vox pop section for the Tuesday edition...!
The hitherto secret international designer joining the GFW judging panel is Julien Macdonald; it will be interesting to see how his input into the process affects the outcome of the Gala Awards, taking place tonight. I have a golden ticket so will let you know all tomorrow. Perhaps he is scouting for fresh talent for his own label, given that late last year he signed a big business deal with a new backer?
I bumped into my cousin, who is cycling aficionado extraordinaire and has her own fashion label for biking fashionistas, Cyclodelic. She was at GFW scouting for graduating designers who might be fellow fans of the bike and of fashion, and interested in cycling catwalk show she's planning for later this year, following the success of the Wheels and Heels, which took place during the last LFW, and which she worked on. It's all still early stages, but she has big plans for the event and no doubt will pull them off - I certainly hope to be reporting updates here on Fashion Popcorn!!
I very unfortunately missed Liverpool John Moores and Birmingham City University's joint show, but the reports were very favourable and those who did make it in were impressed by the collections that were showcased; certainly what I could see through the door window looked interesting. Both are working on raising their profile so no doubt we will see something of an evolution over the next few years. I made it to each of the further shows, so all in all have managed seven shows in the past two days - a respectable third of all shows which (in my mind!) makes me well qualified to have an opinion on the event.

GFW catwalk show: University of Westminster

Westminster, as far as I can ascertain, is a hot ticket at Graduate Fashion Week, having introduced the likes of Christopher Bailey, Stuart Vevers and Katie Hillier to the fashion world. Many of these industry names continue to support the course, returning to assist with selections, judge awards and simply offer insights to current students of their working life; indeed, Bailey and Markus Lupfer were ensconced on the front row as this year's show kicked off.
Westminster is noted for its professionalism, its outsized graduate lookbook-cum-style magazine a case in point; in some courses this can lead to a dearth of humour in collections, but this show seemed to keep the balance of professionalism and experimentalism. Interestingly, the GFW executive committee was involved in the selection process this year, which may be why the show was more eclectic in some respects: I think perhaps there were some collections chosen for impact that might not otherwise have been in keeping with the careful image the course has been cultivating.
//// Awen Teifi: created linen garments in neutral colours, accessorised with flexible wood veneer collars and shoulder embellishments.
//// Stephanie Norris: white cotton garments supporting overlayers of evenly-cut fringing created the look of fluidity with structure.
//// Krishna Chavda: his techno schoolboys play cricket offered neoprene, slim fit playing shirts with blazers and jersey separates in a mix of old-school colours and neons.
//// Emma Griffiths: this was my stand-out collection from the show - her look was military inspired, replete with mini bearskins. The body-con, tailored separates, for example drainpipe trousers made from interwoven wevbbing, contrasted with long hair capes created a dark, gothic and strong look.

GFW catwalk: University of Northampton

Back in March, alongside Gavin Douglas and Company's Kirsty Hathaway, I was on the panel of judges for the inaugural Fashion Fusion Awards, which took place in Birmingham and was the brainchild of two recent fashion promotion graduates. I was impressed with their tenacity and ability to pull together a full house event that attracted the sponsorship of Harvey Nichols Mailbox, among others.
This may seem a diversion from the GFW cause, although arguably it demonstrates what can be achieved once a graduate graduates, but the reason I mention it is that the winner, Tanveer Ahmad, was a 2007 graduate from Northampton; Gavin Douglas also trained at Northampton, fact people. I am not sure how much his collection progressed between June last year and the awards, but his collection was a real blow the cobwebs away showstopper - all black, it explored the hijab in a truly contemporary way, through garments, accesssories and styling, creating look after look that you would die to have in your wardrobe. Gavin Douglas is currently looking into getting Tanveer down to London to work with him in his studio; if he can persevere and find his foothold, I have no doubt he could be very successful and look forward to hearing how he progresses. His collection really sets the bar for what a great student can achieve in their show, so naturally was interested to see what the college could come up with this year.
Overall, the show was pretty strong - I mean, this is somewhat subjective, but I could see a lot had been put into the development of the collections. Gavin Douglas had made the trip up to Northampton to help with the selection for the catwalk, and I can see some of his influence coming through, as there were strong elements of tailoring and structured garments which Gavin seems to favour.

//// Victoria Pangbourne (above): created a sharp, all-black collection, hard-edged femininity; it was a collection for grown-ups, which is something of rarity at GFW - which is fair enough, given this is the graduates opportunity to experiment, yet at the same time should be encouraged given the growth of this sector of the market. Victoria got it right - with enough exxagerated, slick detail to make the looks ultra-covetable.

//// Catherine Neville: to the crescendo of Michael Jackson's Dirty Diana, Catherine's fitted leather biker jackets with stiffly frilled shoulders which framed the head like an Elizabethan ruff was stand out; the gold was mixed with vivid hues - silk cut purple, emerald green, cyclamen pink - which lent the collection a dynamic air.

//// Jody Parchment (above, left): This was one of the footwear and accessories graduate collections and didn't fail to capture imagination - dual colour platform stacks in neon brights, coupled with glossy, oversized bags in hyper hyper fruit colours drew admiring glances.

//// Michelle Jackson (above, right): this textiles for fashion graduate created some fantastic geometric, eye-popping monochrome prints, which strutted down the catwalk in the form of bodycon basics.

//// Craig Fellows (below): I loved this tongue in cheek take on ultra-feminity, by another textiles for fashion graduate. The low-key pastels, off-set with bright blue, made flouncy garments which really highlighted the qualities of the print and fabrics.

GFW catwalk: Somerset College

In the last few years, Somerset College has come on leaps and bounds and it is fair to say that GFW attendees are sitting up and taking much more notice of this Taunton-based FE-turned-HE college.
My impression of Somerset is that it has grown up from a textile-rich course, and this is to its benefit, as the more textile-aware a designer is, the better they can apply it to their designs.
The collections were, in general, coherent and fluid, with colour, texture and silhouette carefully considered. If I chose one, I would say that Chloe Marsh was my stand-out collection...
//// Chloe Marsh: took and ethically-conscience approach to her designs, using organic and Fairtrade fabrics; her garments were cut to highlight her digital printwork, sunburst splashes of vibrant purple and orange, with black, which ensured a very contemporary and fresh collection.
//// Jennifer Marston: the peacock colours and cocooning silhouette, and the layers of fabric from lightweight to heavy knit.
//// Nicola Davies: using opulent wine red, navy and gold, loved the exxagerated shoulders which lent a masculine edge to some very womanly cuts.
//// Debra Smitham: this was lighthearted, fun, which can be a rarity at GFW as everyone has gone so pro these days(!). Cute mini playsuits, puff sleeve blouses, pantaloon hotpants, over-sized buttons - sailor meets 50s pin-up.
//// Rebecca Nuria Hamnett: I liked this for its multiple green tones and its fluidity - it was very cohesive and for that reason pleasing to watch(!).
//// Samantha Payne: a mention for this one dress collection - a trapeze mini dress of fragile layers of lace created by laser cutting and print, a perfect rushed bride, the model presented a bouquet to PM's wife, Sarah Brown at the end of the show. Nice touch.

Sarah Brown pops into Graduate Fashion Week

As I blogged yesterday, Graduate Fashion Week holds a special place in my heart (in a non-schmaltzy way, you understand!), and so I rocked up to day two of this year's event to see how it was settling into its new home, Earls Court 2.
I arrived just ten minutes before Sarah Brown, wife of Gordon, was scheduled for a photocall; she attended at least one catwalk show - saw her presented with a handmade, lace bouquet at the end of Somerset's - and did a walk about. I am guessing that it may have had something to do with the government's drive to encourage skills in the fashion industry, but equally she does a lot of charitable work so it could have been something to do with that... maybe I should have been a bit more inquisitive! Will be looking out for more unexpected visitors over the course of the next two days...
The event's main sponsor, to the tune of about £500k, is River Island, which was coming to the end of its current contract this year - I was pleased to hear that they've confirmed at least a further year's sponsorship for GFW, as this kind of support is absolutely vital for the continuation of the event. I was also interested to note that Sarah Walters, who as brand manager at New Look had helped move the brand past value retailer to fashion player, is now with River Island and has been for the past six months; it suggests that there may be some interesting initiatives in the pipeline from RI, so will be watching closely...
Having been held in Battersea Park Arena for the last few years, GFW had been a little difficult to get to, although the location did mitigate for some of this, and the tents erred to the sweltering, over-crowded side. As Earls Court 2 is a massive hangar style space the layout and feel of the event was very different indeed - it was a Marmite issue - some loved the better layout of stands, additional space, the air con, and the convenient location; others liked the intimacy of the former location, the park. I think, on balance that most felt it an improvement, and that's a tricky one to achieve with so many people to please.
I made it to three shows: Somerset, Northampton, Westminster. UCCA Epsom is actually today, so that one's for later. It is interesting watching the common themes which crop up across all shows, but some are executed so stylishly, some are great, but still need some extra push to take it to the next level. I am going to be checking out the GFW Daily, both for the reports and also because had my piccie taken by the Editor, Piers, so might make an appearance - fame at last!

Graduate Fashion Week kicks off at Earls Court

I have been going to Graduate Fashion Week for ten years now, first as a student, then graduate, now as a 'professional' (whatever that means!), and I love the electricity which crackles through the place throughout the event. To be honest, it still evokes all the same feelings - excitement, elation, fear(!) - now as it did when I graduated; I find it hugely inspirational. The more established in the industry really are behind the event and I hope that the students and graduates coming through can see and feel that, as standing on the outskirts of the industry it can be a somewhat daunting prospect deciding which path to set out on.
While yesterday was taken over by perusing the Royal College of Art's SHOW ONE, today will be given over to Graduate Fashion Week, as will a lot of this week, as the event runs til Thursday (June 12). I will be there later today, not least because my old college UCCA Epsom hosts its catwalk show, and hope to be blogging about all the agenda-setting collections and final major projects that the 53 (count em!!) colleges will be showcasing. This year, three of the colleges are from overseas - France's Institute Francais and Esmod International, and also The Netherlands' Amsterdam Fashion Institute - so will be interested to see where UK colleges differ, and where the similarities lie. I wonder whether we might see the GFW formula reworked for other countries at some point in the future - certainly it's a pretty unique event.
//// New service supports fashion industry newbies:
Is good to see that Fashion Monitor has launched Fashion Monitor Workshop - its free career website for those wanting to get a head start in the industry. The team has collaborated very closely with Terry Mansfield, who chairs the GFW committee, and June Barker, who runs the event, to create the add-on service, which will offer answers to all the questions buzzing around the mind of students, graduates and those seeking to establish themselves in the industry. I remember the leap from the cosseting college studio environment to the 'real world' and while the path has been extremely engaging and exciting, it has also been hard slog all the way too, and it is good to have as many places as possible that you can throw questions at in the challenging first few years.
//// So I will be attempting to catch at least some of the 22 catwalk shows taking place between yesterday and Wednesday, and will definitely be marking down the Gala Show, previewing the best of the collections, on Wednesday evening. Supermodel Claudia Schiffer and ELLE's Lorraine Candy have confirmed as guest judges for the awards which are presented on the night, with a further name (an international designer) tbc on the panel, which is chaired by River Island MD Richard Bradbury. Will see if I can find that name today when am down there.

\\\\ In case you fancy checking out the 'stars of tomorrow':::
&&&& Graduate Fashion Week runs til June 11, with an Education Day taking place June 12. The location is Earls Court 2, and it is a ticketed event on all days.
&&&& The GFW Gala Show takes place this Wednesday, with a show at 5.30pm open to the public. Again, tickets only, so book in advance!
Worth checking out the GFW website for more info, opening times etc.