The Fashion Fix – Graduate Fashion Week 2019

Another year, another amazing instalment of Graduate Fashion Week! As 2019 came to its conclusion on Wednesday 5th June, we celebrated the champions of this year’s Gala Catwalk Awards, which pioneered the ‘Talent of Tomorrow’, where some of the graduate star winners included Hannah Stote, Alexandra Fan and Brian Mc Lysaght.

Across the four-day fashion showcase, more than 150 judges united to come to a unanimous decision on the 23 award winners, including GFW Ambassador Christopher Raeburn who supported the Christopher Bailey Collection of the Year Award panel of industry experts and New Lifetime Patron and designer, Dame Zandra Rhodes joined the Hilary Alexander Trailblazer Award.

Edinburgh College of Art achieved the greatest level of success, where a total of five awards were delivered to their students. These honours included the Christopher Bailey Collection of the Year Award, the Hilary Alexander Trailblazer Award, the George Catwalk to Store Award and this year’s latest edition, the Conscious Design Award sponsored by Swarovski.

The admired ‘Christopher Bailey Collection of the Year Award’, entitled after the award’s original winner in 1991, was assigned to Brian Mc Lysaght from Edinburgh College of Art, in light of his spectacular menswear line that featured ethical wooden textiles and styled with recycled and organic fabrics. Some of the judge’s names responsible for the award comprised of; Michael Russo, Founders & Creative Directors of Ralph & Russo, Designer and Creative Director Christopher Raeburn and Head of Global Creative Recruitment at LVMH Gena Smith. Mc Lysaght was additionally the winner of the new ‘Conscious Design Award’.

Greg Brears from Birmingham City University was the recipient of The Menswear Award for his impressive utilitarian workwear collection, who explained, “It doesn’t seem real, I didn’t think I’d be here in the first place, never mind win an award. I’d like to design workwear, like A Cold Wall, Off White, that kind of stuff, but I’m not too sure.”

A truly innovative collection designed by Alexandra Fan from Edinburgh College of Art won The Womenswear Award, whilst sustainability pioneered once more from Hannah Stote from Bath Spa University, who curated her ethical-driven knitwear line. “It’s so fantastic to be recognised, and I think that sustainable fashion is so important! I have no words and I love to be able to share my work with everybody and show how interesting and exciting knitwear can be!” she explained.

And finally, Ivy Lan from Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong won the prestigious International Fashion Award, who applied the orchid flower as the predominant emphasis of her design details, with a collection that focused on self-expression and identity.

Until next time, xoxo, Katie

By Katie Farley