Amelia’s Magazine | London College of Fashion MA Womenswear Show 2016

MattBramford_LCFMA16_037Sui Yiru MA Womenswear 2016; all photography by Matt Bramford

Last Thursday, a select group of London College of Fashion graduates presented their MA collections. This year’s venue was the stunning (and slightly imposing) Royal College of Surgeons; specifically, the dramatic Edward Lumley Hall. Arriving early at these events offers many advantages – a well organised event meant I could choose a decent vista and survey the ethereal set, complete with broken glass and mirrors.

The show started only a few minutes late, with conscious whispers of the live stream on the LCF website. Opening the show, Zhixian Wang showed a dreamy collection of cosy duvet-like dresses with drawstring pulls that created shape. Models had helium balloons attached to their arms and bursts of orange brightened different numbers.

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Next designer Lauren Lake couldn’t have been more different with her layers of patchwork fabrics and striped furs. Pinks, blues and yellows on contrasting stripes and prints made this a fun, exciting collection.

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In stark contrast, Yawen Qian presented a sleek, minimalist collection, the majority of pieces were white, angular creations with the odd grey piece thrown in. Constricting perspex jewellery by Yifan Gao completed the looks.

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Kirimi Yun presented a playful assortment of short dresses in a baby pink palette, some with exaggerated a-line shapes and others with dramatic bustles. With frills galore, this was a collection that didn’t take itself too seriously – note the pink crowns!

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Sui Yiru‘s collection used ultra-thin layers of plywood to form sections of skirts. This intriguing use of materials was paired with simple white fabrics that together created minimal geometric shapes.

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One of my favourites was Desirée Slabik‘s groundbreaking collection of voluminous chiffon sculptures. Huge coats in vibrant colours were worn with fluffy trousers in pastels. These garments toyed with the traditional silhouette in a fun, unique way.

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Closing the show was Alexandru Tunsu. His collection of frayed jackets, trousers and skirts left me wondering what on Earth they were constructed from – was it fur, frayed cotton, wool? Whatever it was, these sublime garments, with hints of printed textiles, were the perfect end to the show.

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Read more about this year’s graduates on LCF’s Showtime website.

All photography by Matt Bramford

Categories ,2016, ,Alexandru Tunsu, ,Desirée Slabik, ,graduates, ,Kirimi Yun, ,LCF, ,London College of Fashion, ,ma, ,Matt Bramford, ,Sui Yiru, ,Womenswear, ,Yawen Qian, ,Zhixian Wang

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