Graduate Fashion Week, Strong Striking, but does it need a wow factor?

 

 

Battersea Park became a haven of budding new talent on the verge of venturing forth into the ‘Real Fashion World’. Four days of graduate shows, showcasing the labour of four years of hard work. With 19 colleges showing some 25 collections each there was a lot to see, and unfortunately a lot to be missed.

 

All in all the week was a success; I am sure to the joy if this years new sponsors River Island. Having taken the title from Topshop many in the tent hinted towards the fact that it was better to have River Island because not only did the put up actual money but were more involved in the whole process. River Island does not hold a ‘designer’ section like top shop does, however many suggested this was not really what customers care about anymore…..

 

 

The main concern of Graduate Fashion Week and for graduates themselves for that matter is where does it take them? Where can they go? Although GFW received a nice press turnout it was still relatively thin on the ground, not to mention the sheer cost colleges have to outlay for these shows. Do students really go on, or do they get stuck in limbo? According to various colleges including Northumbria and London College of Fashion some 80% do make into employment so there is hope.

 

Why haven’t we heard of the next Galliano, McQueen or McCartney? Well mainly because designers go in as execs in already established houses such as Calvin Klein Louis Vuitton etc.

 

Was there a next someone in this GFW, well no not really, there was however a definite leaning towards commercial appeal, which will undoubtedly benefit with placement, but we are back to the age old dilemma – can fashion be fashion if it’s commercial, or is real fashion about grand ideas? There was definitely no lack of superior cuts and imagination. Innovative ideas in knitwear and menswear were present throughout. Sadly however there was a distinct lack of Avant Garde, which can be seen to show lack of imagination.

 

 

Now there is always an exception and I found it at Bristol on Tuesday night. A designer called Jack Wright sent down a Goth collection. It bordered on pretentious however it was well cut  – striking black net gauze and silk wedding dresses all adorned with peacock feathers and sequins. The models wore dramatic headdresses and for a brief second you saw not only well cut striking pieces, but a full fledged capsule of a collection with the elements of real design.

 

Naturally throughout the week I saw ones to watch designers who either had design or commercial appeal theses included designers from Surrey, Ravensboure, Berkshire and East London.

 

Menswear proved more popular than usual and the trend was with tailoring paired with knitwear and a heavy presence of urban wear. There were only two designers that really jumped out to me. LCF designer created rubber and PVC outfits paired with all in ones for men, not my taste, but he showed design originality and also he capitalised on the Graduate core trend braces and straps. They were everywhere! Another Menswear collection that stood out was a reconstructed deconstructed suit also at LCF.

 

 

Trends in women’s wear ranged from a heavy presence of silk jersey (a student Favourite) in the style of figure hugging dresses or totally loose batwing 80’s style pieces. English Rose pretty prints were also very popular as was heavy prints ala Jonathon Saunders- Heavy printing on silk to create a tie die or graphic effect.

 

Braces were the key accessory throughout the week and a further trend leaned towards 80’s sequins and the other student favourite mass volume pieces that look more like duvets than clothes.

 

 

Knitwear was strong ranging from spider web style dress; fine knit tops right to full on heavy chunk knit dresses that looked like giants torn miles of yarn.

 

In my modest opinion the week was another chalked up success for a booming British Fashion Design industry, however the missing ‘wow’ could have a strong impact on a strong growth in fashion.

 

 

As a new wave of designers flood a market that is being adversely affected by shifting consumer tastes, the question is really can this group aide our fledgling ‘designer’ brands as well as a less popular high street?