This year at Fashion Scout during London Fashion Week, showcased three of our Graduate Fashion Week alumni's pieces. The designs were in full view along the red carpet entrance to the Gallery catwalk in Freemasons' Hall. Each designer had mannequins displaying their work through the exciting event. All those on their way to innovative shows took the time to take a closer look at the fantastic pieces lining the Gallery red carpet. The three creative design graduates were Swarovski International Catwalk Competition Winner Po Chieh Chiu, Catwalk Textiles Award Winner Maddie Williams and Kate Clark.
Kingston University graduate Kate Clark showed a collection reminiscent of her childhood, a concept of not wanting to grow up, and for it to be acceptable to wear her 'princess' dress forever. The collection uses a mixture of bright colours with pastels accessorised by bouquets of teddy bears and playful cartoon like embellishments. Kate's collection offers a tongue in cheek take on life, and her designs bring full of character garments that could be found in any girly girl's costume box.
Maddie Williams, winner of the Catwalk Textiles Award is a graduate of Edinburgh College. Maddie's Goddess like attire celebrates feminine strength, and questions the reasons why women should conform to a strong stance. Maddie's portrayal of a Goddess could be perceived as impractical, but her garments reflect an ideal of living in harmony with the Earth, and the importance of organic styling, and the difference between each female strength.
Po Chieh Chiu, who graduated from Shih Chien University in Taiwan, showed two of his menswear looks which helped him win the GFW 17 Swarovski international catwalk competition. His modern approach fuses an alternative take on traditional menswear shapes with unique and artistically impressive techniques while maintaining real-life applicability.
Each designer’s pieces stood out one from each other, demonstrating three completely different approaches to design, construction, and fabric. Their individual, innovative concepts are unique and share a strong message about originality and distinctiveness in the fashion industry. Graduate Fashion Week showcases emerging talents from all over the UK, those coined to have an influential impact on the future of fashion, and an eager thirst for new ideas and techniques.
Words by Robyn Goldhar and Amber Whitaker