On the 14th February, the University of Westminster hosted its third catwalk show for London Fashion Week.
The University of Westminster has an excellent reputation for its students gaining internships at some of the most distinguished fashion houses around the globe. Westminster is also renowned for its esteemed fashion alumni, which includes the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Christopher Bailey and Stuart Vevers. The show exhibited 13 of the graduates’ BA Fashion Design collections, who have all worked for some of the world’s most acclaimed designers. Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and Tom Ford, are just a few of the names that can be found on these 13 resumes. Needless to say, expectations were high.
In opening the show, Professor Groves expressed his support for his students: “I am excited that we are once again showing our students collections at London Fashion Week. Following on from our debut at LFW last year, we are pleased to announce that we will be showing all our graduates A/W20 collections together with their S/S21 precollections in Paris at Espace Commines. This will allow those that wish to build their own brands to develop early relationships with international buyers and stockists prior to their graduation in June”.
After observing this year’s graduate collections, it became evident why Professor Groves was so proud to present his students’ hard work. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, the Westminster show left Œ feeling very much in love with some of the designers and hopeful that this love will continue to flourish. Œ has compiled a selection of backstage photos from our 4 favourite graduate collections to give some insight into the promising talent that made this year’s Fashion Week so eminent.
Vane Bon
“The proposed female of Bon’s debut collection offers a sartorial interpretation of power and fetishism inspired by the heroines of retro-futurist films. Ultra-feminine silhouettes converge with sharp tailoring, while volume is mixed with structure; luxurious fabrications contrast with hi-tech materials to create a fusion of glamour and sportswear”.
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Hannah Sosna
“For A/W20 Sosna is inspired by the birth of colour television, and the introduction of test cards, referenced throughout the collection with the use of bold, colourful geometric prints. Silhouettes are inspired by the sharp modern menswear of the time; outerwear garments are constructed with proportion, materiality and volume in mind”.
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Fennuala Butterfield
“Low-budget horror and porn movies of the 1970s, and their obsession with nuns, inspires a collection contrasting purity and innocence versus repressed sexuality. Severe, restrained outwear is juxtaposed against voluminous draping to create striking silhouettes. Virgin cotton contrasts with PVC in blushing pinks and reds offsetting the clean white undertones”.
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Tumisola Ladega
“Ladega’s collection explores the question ‘At what point does a girl become a woman, and can she be both? Inspired by the oversized, hip hop sportswear of 90s youth culture, combined with the conservative tailoring of the 80s, the collection explores exaggerated silhouettes, unusual fabric combinations and construction collage”.
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All photos in this article by Peter E. Reiche.
