Graduate Fashion Week 2025: Sustainability and the Next Generation

Graduate Fashion Week 2025 has taken over London’s Truman Brewery from 13 – 16 June, bringing together a convergence of creativity, innovation, and sustainable design. As the world’s largest showcase of BA fashion talent, this year’s event features over 60 influential UK and international universities, representing more than 100 fashion-related degree courses across 26 disciplines.

(GFW The Class of 2025)

(GFW Sheffield Hallam University stand)

Returning to Graduate Fashion Week, Ellesse, the iconic Italian sportswear brand founded in 1959, presented the results of its collaborative student competition — a brief inviting graduates to reimagine tennis-inspired fashion for the modern era. This initiative isn’t just about bold aesthetics or technical design; it’s also a showcase of how innovation and circular thinking can coexist on the runway.

(GFW X Ellesse Seren Millie Still)

Supporting this effort behind the scenes was Fashion-Enter Ltd (FEL) and its Fashion Studio team working closely with the student winners to sample and manufacture their designs, bringing their visions to life with professional precision while championing ethical production methods.

(GFW X Ellesse George Light)

GFW X Ellesse Winners:

1st Place: Seren Millie – Bath Spa University
Seren’s designs pay homage to the clean elegance of Wimbledon’s traditional dress code while subtly incorporating Ellesse’s iconic stripe. Her work, manufactured by FEL using textile reuse practices, reflects a balance of athletic performance and timeless style. Seren also wins a paid placement with Ellesse’s global team in London, an invaluable step in launching her fashion career.

2nd Place: George Light – Nottingham Trent University
Inspired by the glamour of 1970s Italian tennis, George delivered a nostalgic yet modern aesthetic. His work will benefit from dedicated mentorship by Ellesse, giving him key guidance as he transitions from university into the professional world.

3rd Place: Xuanhao Yi – University for the Creative Arts, Epsom
Xuanhao’s pieces showed precision tailoring and bold silhouettes. Like the other winners, his designs were brought to life by FEL’s expert production team, underlining the importance of craftsmanship in sustainable fashion.

(GFW X Zalando Circular Fashion)

This year’s GFW programming expanded its focus on circularity and textile reuse, a theme woven throughout not only the Ellesse competition but also broader exhibitions and panel talks. A Circularity Masterclass led by Zalando and the Graduate Fashion Foundation explored how fashion systems must evolve — from design and sourcing to end-of-life responsibility.

(Repurposing tent fabric)

FEL’s involvement in GFW exemplifies this shift. Known for its transparent, ethical supply chain and UK-based sampling and manufacturing, the company provides an alternative to offshore, high-impact production models. Its collaboration with students helps embed real-world sustainable practices into the education pipeline — from the studio to the shop floor.

FashionCapital editor JoJo Iles shared her enthusiasm, commenting: “I am a huge fan of graduate fashion collections. The creativity, the ideas, the opportunity to explore without boundaries. There is a real buzz of excitement and enthusiasm as the graduates celebrate the culmination of their hard work. This atmosphere is intoxicating and you can feel how much this means to them. For 2025 you could see a strong emphasis on textile reuse, sustainability and circularity combined with that all-important creative freedom.”

(NEXT Talk: Life as a trainee buyer / designer)

(GFW LIVE! TALK: What makes a great designer)

(GFW: Epsom – @goha.fashions)

GFW 2025 Day 1 highlights:

• The University of the Creative Arts Epsom catwalk show presented 25 collections across its Fashion Design and Fashion Atelier & Tailoring programmes. Standout designers included Sophie Kolberg, Eli Ng, William George, Coffee Lum, and Celian Dewasmes, many of whom incorporated sustainable or upcycled elements into their work.
• London College of Contemporary Arts launched their Fashion Media and Promotion graduates with a slick print magazine filled with editorial shoots and thought-provoking interviews — adding to the event’s dynamic media presence.
• At the NEXT stand, Menswear Design Manager Tom Pearce discussed forecasting colour trends and what life is like as a trainee buyer or designer — offering an honest look behind the fashion curtain.
• GFW Live! Talks included practical sessions on navigating the post-graduation landscape, and workshops on digital fashion tools like CLO3D, Adobe, and Shima Seiki, giving students hands-on experience with the future of fashion tech.
• University of Westminster BA Fashion, presented independently onsite at Ambika P3, the graduates wowed the audience, made up of industry, friends and family, with 30 collections marked by technical brilliance and creative storytelling.

For more on Graduate Fashion Week 2025 visit: https://www.graduatefashionweek.com/events

All images by JoJo Iles