Amelia’s Magazine | Royal College of Art: Fashion Design Graduate Show 2011 review. Menswear Knitwear.

Hannah Taylor by Karolina Burdon
Hannah Taylor by Karolina Burdon.

I had to sit in the photographer’s pit – legs akimbo – to view the RCA graduate fashion show on Thursday 2nd June 2011… apparently there are no allocated seats. Hurumph, buy more about how often have we covered RCA shows on this website? On the bright side it meant that I had a fabulous view of the models as they walked towards me down the catwalk. Menswear fine tailoring and knitwear was particularly strong at this year’s show. Here’s introducing two fabulous knitwear designers to watch:

RCA graduate fashion 2011-Cherie Newing photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Cherie Newing photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Cherie Newing photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Cherie Newing photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Cherie Newing photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Cherie Newing photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Cherie Newing photography by Amelia Gregory
Cherie Newing. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Cherie Newing by Emma Durnell
Cherie Newing by Emma Durnell.

Cherie Newing showed brightly coloured repeat pattern jumpers that touched the ankle. Intarsia knit jumpers and garish printed tracksuits featured stop signs and abstract shapes.

RCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Taylor photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Taylor photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Taylor photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Taylor photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Taylor photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Taylor photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Taylor photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Taylor photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Taylor photography by Amelia Gregory
Hannah Taylor‘s collection featured a whole host of influences, erectile from the Green Man to bank robbers, this web via the jungle: both urban and tropical. It was a super fun collection of cable knit shagpile wonder from someone not afraid to experiment with colour and shape.

The RCA is of course a fabled institution that has endowed the world with many fabulously well trained creatives, so I fail to understand why so many RCA graduates leave the college with zero web presence. Hannah Taylor, however, is one of the few who has multiple websites where you can catch up with her, including a website, a blog and a twitter feed. Hurrah!

Categories ,Brights, ,Cable knit, ,Emma Durnell, ,Graduate Fashion Show, ,Green Man, ,Hannah Taylor, ,Hanzipan, ,Intarsia, ,jungle, ,Karolina Burdon, ,knitwear, ,menswear, ,Patterns, ,rca, ,Royal College of Art, ,urban

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Amelia’s Magazine | Royal College of Art: Fashion Design Graduate Show 2011 review. Womenswear Knitwear.

RCA - Hannah Buswell by Kristina Vasiljeva
Hannah Buswell by Kristina Vasiljeva.

RCA knitwear design is out of this world. Naturally I was particularly keen on the really bright bold oversized collections, nurse but there were plenty of more tightly tailored and subtle garments too. Here’s who to look out for:

RCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Buswell photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Buswell photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Buswell photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Buswell photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Buswell photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Buswell photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Hannah Buswell photography by Amelia Gregory
Hannah Buswell created a slouchy striped collection in hot pinks, viagra 40mg oranges and yellows with the occasional slash of lime green or blue. Print (a collaboration with textiles designer Amy Ellis) was mixed with knitwear in variegated block shapes, for sale then embellished with large Swarovski crystals, all styled to perfection with knee high sheer striped socks. Find Hannah Buswell on her website, blog and twitter feed.

RCA graduate fashion 2011-Ruth Green photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Ruth Green photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Ruth Green photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Ruth Green photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Ruth Green photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Ruth Green photography by Amelia Gregory
Ruth Green was another fan of the popular boxy shoulder shape, and also of a hot orange and red colour palette in rectangular forms. Cowl necks and asymmetrical shapes completed the look. Take a look at Ruth Green’s website here.

RCA graduate fashion 2011-Maria Kamper photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Maria Kamper photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Maria Kamper photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Maria Kamper photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Maria Kamper photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Maria Kamper photography by Amelia Gregory
Maria Kamper chose an elegant approach, with close fitting dresses in subtle creams and black accompanied by draped trains.

RCA graduate fashion 2011-Victoria Hill photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Victoria Hill photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Victoria Hill photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Victoria Hill photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Victoria Hill photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Victoria Hill photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Victoria Hill photography by Amelia Gregory
As did Victoria Hill, who draped excess fabrics off the shoulder and bosom of belted full length dresses in fine gauge knit to create a very commercial and highly wearable collection. There’s not much on it but you can find her website here.

RCA graduate fashion 2011-Kate Pritchard photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Kate Pritchard photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Kate Pritchard photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Kate Pritchard photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Kate Pritchard photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Kate Pritchard photography by Amelia Gregory
Kate Pritchard pursued draping in a more bunched up fashion in a steely coloured collection with more than a slight nod to grunge.

RCA Graduate Show 2011 Helen Taylor by Sam Parr
Helen Turner by Sam Parr.

RCA graduate fashion 2011-Helen Turner photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Helen Turner photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Helen Turner photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Helen Turner photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Helen Turner photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Helen Turner photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Helen Turner photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Helen Turner photography by Amelia Gregory
I adored Helen Turner‘s clever collection which used bunched layers of yarn threaded through the garments to create a unique silhouette in shades of caramel, searing orange and petrol blue.

RCA graduate fashion 2011- photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011- photography by Amelia GregoryRCA graduate fashion 2011-Amelie MarciasiniRCA graduate fashion 2011- photography by Amelia Gregory
Unfortunately I can’t identify who are responsible for this lovely oversize bobbly aran knit and shaggy mohair cardigan, but loved these also. NEWSFLASH! Thankyou Hannah for telling me that the first two images feature Victoria Hill for Esprit, and the last two are Amelie Marciasini for Esprit.

Categories ,Amelie Marciasini, ,Amy Ellis, ,Block, ,Brights, ,Esprit, ,Hannah Buswell, ,Helen Turner, ,Kate Pritchard, ,knitwear, ,Maria Kamper, ,Mohair, ,Orange, ,rca, ,Royal College of Art, ,Ruth Green, ,Sam Parr, ,Swarovski, ,Victoria Hill, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week A/W 2011 Catwalk Review: Osman (by Naomi)


Illustration by Jenny Robins

I remember blogging about Eun Jeong eons ago, order enticed by her pretty minimalism with a crisp all-white palette one season. For me, sickness she most certainly stood out amongst even the top hot-ticketers of London Fashion Week and I had an inkling she wouldn’t be a one-seasoner. I was therefore thrilled and curious upon bagging an invitation to one of her two fashion shows in Covent Garden during fashion week.??

I sat next to a lovely blogger named Hannah Newton of London Town’s a go go in another clever catwalk invention of a loop around the room, with audience-members sitting on rows inside and outside of the square. We both shamelessly ruffled through our large goody bags with tiny goodies – cosmetics and a little heart-shaped purse by Kipling. And we didn’t bother with ‘acting the part of a fashionista’ all nonchalant and ‘oh! I get free overpriced make-up on a daily basis, sweetheart. It’s no biggie.’  We’re students and we were blooming happy with our freebies.??

We just knew that the intimate set-up would result in bagging some great up-close shots of the clothes and getting a good look at the detail and fabric. Then, after a long wait sitting by the runway (as is always the way with fashion shows), 1930s music was suddenly bouncing off the walls and the models took to the oddly-shaped catwalk.

It looked to me as if the collection had been inspired by Britain in war-time. Every model wore bronzed make-up with bronzed skin all over their body and the clothes themselves were British in many respects – pleats and wool and ruffles with lady-like cuts all over the joint. There were elegant camel-coloured coats and full-skirts that began at the waist and dropped to the floor in pressed pleats.

Bows and lace were everywhere. They both seem to be a common theme this season. Delicate bows were placed on skinny leather waist-belts and thick white lace acted as beautiful underskirts.

It wasn’t all classic tea-party tailoring, however. There were a fair few twists and turns along the way. Pleated skirts bore asymmetric ruffles and tails down one side and a certain set of dresses definitely seemed to stand-out amongst the thick fabrics and classic lady-wear – bright yellow numbers that screamed out an utterly architectural print, resembling the San Francisco Bridge.

Jeong’s seemingly favourite design ethos of white white white reappeared this season with a fair few outfits almost entirely in creams and white that flowed down in thick luscious fabric – a pure and almost evangelical look that passed off beautifully.

I now know why I was taken with Eun Jeong right from her Fashion Fringe debut. Her clothes are beautiful, classic, unique and, most of all, wearable. I could, for example, most definitely see an strong office woman walking into work every day and turning heads in Eun Jeong’s statement-take on both the classical and the quintessentially British. I loved it.

Illustration by Jenny Robins

I remember blogging about Eun Jeong eons ago, find enticed by her pretty minimalism with a crisp all-white palette one season. For me, she most certainly stood out amongst even the top hot-ticketers of London Fashion Week and I had an inkling she wouldn’t be a one-seasoner. I was therefore thrilled and curious upon bagging an invitation to one of her two fashion shows in Covent Garden during fashion week.??


All photography by Georgia Takacs

I sat next to a lovely blogger named Hannah Newton of London Town’s a go go in another clever catwalk invention of a loop around the room, with audience-members sitting on rows inside and outside of the square. We both shamelessly ruffled through our large goody bags with tiny goodies – cosmetics and a little heart-shaped purse by Kipling. And we didn’t bother with ‘acting the part of a fashionista’ all nonchalant and ‘oh! I get free overpriced make-up on a daily basis, sweetheart. It’s no biggie.’  We’re students and we were blooming happy with our freebies.??


Illustration by Kerri-Ann Hulme

We just knew that the intimate set-up would result in bagging some great up-close shots of the clothes and getting a good look at the detail and fabric. Then, after a long wait sitting by the runway (as is always the way with fashion shows), 1930s music was suddenly bouncing off the walls and the models took to the oddly-shaped catwalk.

It looked to me as if the collection had been inspired by Britain in war-time. Every model wore bronzed make-up with bronzed skin all over their body and the clothes themselves were British in many respects – pleats and wool and ruffles with lady-like cuts all over the joint. There were elegant camel-coloured coats and full-skirts that began at the waist and dropped to the floor in pressed pleats.


Illustration by Madi Illustrates

Bows and lace were everywhere. They both seem to be a common theme this season. Delicate bows were placed on skinny leather waist-belts and thick white lace acted as beautiful underskirts.

It wasn’t all classic tea-party tailoring, however. There were a fair few twists and turns along the way. Pleated skirts bore asymmetric ruffles and tails down one side and a certain set of dresses definitely seemed to stand-out amongst the thick fabrics and classic lady-wear – bright yellow numbers that screamed out an utterly architectural print, resembling the San Francisco Bridge.

Jeong’s seemingly favourite design ethos of white white white reappeared this season with a fair few outfits almost entirely in creams and white that flowed down in thick luscious fabric – a pure and almost evangelical look that passed off beautifully.

I now know why I was taken with Eun Jeong right from her Fashion Fringe debut. Her clothes are beautiful, classic, unique and, most of all, wearable. I could, for example, most definitely see an strong office woman walking into work every day and turning heads in Eun Jeong’s statement-take on both the classical and the quintessentially British. I loved it.

See more of Jenny Robins’ illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!

Illustration by Jenny Robins

I remember blogging about Eun Jeong eons ago, sildenafil enticed by her pretty minimalism with a crisp all-white palette one season. For me, cost she most certainly stood out amongst even the top hot-ticketers of London Fashion Week and I had an inkling she wouldn’t be a one-seasoner. I was therefore thrilled and curious upon bagging an invitation to one of her two fashion shows in Covent Garden during fashion week.??


All photography by Georgia Takacs

I sat next to a lovely blogger named Hannah Newton of London Town’s a go go in another clever catwalk invention of a loop around the room, more about with audience-members sitting on rows inside and outside of the square. We both shamelessly ruffled through our large goody bags with tiny goodies – cosmetics and a little heart-shaped purse by Kipling. And we didn’t bother with ‘acting the part of a fashionista’ all nonchalant and ‘oh! I get free overpriced make-up on a daily basis, sweetheart. It’s no biggie.’  We’re students and we were blooming happy with our freebies.??


Illustration by Kerri-Ann Hulme

We just knew that the intimate set-up would result in bagging some great up-close shots of the clothes and getting a good look at the detail and fabric. Then, after a long wait sitting by the runway (as is always the way with fashion shows), 1930s music was suddenly bouncing off the walls and the models took to the oddly-shaped catwalk.

It looked to me as if the collection had been inspired by Britain in war-time. Every model wore bronzed make-up with bronzed skin all over their body and the clothes themselves were British in many respects – pleats and wool and ruffles with lady-like cuts all over the joint. There were elegant camel-coloured coats and full-skirts that began at the waist and dropped to the floor in pressed pleats.


Illustration by Madi Illustrates

Bows and lace were everywhere. They both seem to be a common theme this season. Delicate bows were placed on skinny leather waist-belts and thick white lace acted as beautiful underskirts.

It wasn’t all classic tea-party tailoring, however. There were a fair few twists and turns along the way. Pleated skirts bore asymmetric ruffles and tails down one side and a certain set of dresses definitely seemed to stand-out amongst the thick fabrics and classic lady-wear – bright yellow numbers that screamed out an utterly architectural print, resembling the Golden Gate Bridge.

Jeong’s seemingly favourite design ethos of white white white reappeared this season with a fair few outfits almost entirely in creams and white that flowed down in thick luscious fabric – a pure and almost evangelical look that passed off beautifully.

I now know why I was taken with Eun Jeong right from her Fashion Fringe debut. Her clothes are beautiful, classic, unique and, most of all, wearable. I could, for example, most definitely see an strong office woman walking into work every day and turning heads in Eun Jeong’s statement-take on both the classical and the quintessentially British. I loved it.

See more of Jenny Robins’ illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!

Illustration by Antonia Parker

Over at Osman, clinic sleek silhouettes glided gracefully down the beautiful blue ink-blotched catwalk on models sporting blunt Cleopatra bobs with eyelash-skimming fringes.


Illustrations by Alexandra Rolfe

Osman Yousefzada showed a sophisticated palette featuring lot of ivory and charcoal in sharp yet flowing shapes. Colour flooded in, and taking the form of feature linings and leather trims in rust, store scarlet, pale aqua, neon pink and lime. The show opened with a beautiful ivory dress, featuring a v-shaped accent to the bodice in bright cobalt, echoing the beauiful inky stripe printed on the catwalk itself.


Illustrations by Donya Todd

The chic and sharply flared wide leg trousers were particularly prominent, billowing around the models’ legs as they sashayed their way towards the photographers’ pit. I was sitting way back in the sixth row but semi-successfully found a gap in the rows of heads to capture some of the looks. Key pieces seemed to keep on coming; dresses with contrast-lined capelets, black leather with hot pink horizontal stripes, a Morticia-length charcoal wool dress, a leather-fronted blouse with bright orange floor-length tied tails to the back, the list goes on.


Illustration by Madi Illustrates


Illustrations by Kerri-Ann Hulme


Photography by Naomi Law

There was a hint of the 1960s with a-line shapes and geometric capped sleeves, but pattern or ornamentation was minimal, save for one striking orange chiffon dress with chocolate brown embroidery. The collection managed to make crayon brights into something more sophisticated – the careful balance of colour and monotone combined with expert tailoring in subtly varyied textures was sharp, modern and crisp.


Illustrations by Rachel Lewis

There were two show-stopping floor-length black dresses with dramatic fluffy sleeves so huge I assumed they must be fake fur (hence asking two of our illustrators to work from these designs). I was disgusted to discover later that Osman has made the vile decision to use real fur in his collections. It’s nasty enough that anyone would choose to use animal fur in the first place, but even harder to understand when they’re going to end up dyeing it a completely unnatural colour anyway. Unfortunately this took the shine off the collection, none of this next season thank you!


Illustration by Antonia Parker

See more of Antonia Parker’s illustrations in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration!

Categories ,1960s, ,A/W 2011, ,Alexandra Rolfe, ,Antonia Parker, ,BFC, ,Brights, ,Catwalk review, ,Chic, ,Cleopatra, ,Cobalt, ,Donya Todd, ,fashion, ,Fur, ,Hot Pink, ,Kerri-Ann Hulme, ,London Fashion Week, ,Naomi Law, ,Osman Yousefzada, ,Rachel Lewis, ,Somerset House, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2013 Surface Design Graduates – Playful Brights

New Designers show 2013-Hannah Rampley
Next up, my review of splashy abstract brights and lovely playful designs. It’s fair to say that this is a look I will always love, but there did seem to be a lot of very beautiful surface designs and printed textiles that followed this theme in 2013.

surfacedesign by Hannah Rampley at Leeds
At Leeds College of Art I wanted to gobble up these juicy fruit designs by Hannah Rampley.

New Designers show 2013-emma cook
Emma Cook worked in ceramics to create pretty textured decorative tiles.

Dinosaurs and Octopi by Hannah Bowen
New Designers show 2013-hannah bowen
Dinosaurs and Octopi populate surface patterns by Hannah Bowen. I can see her gorgeous designs working really well for children, and her playful prints also snagged her the Harlequin Award at New Designers.

Tropical Pleating from Emily Jane Fisher
I loved the tropical pleating and glittering oversized sequins in a stunning display by Emily Jane Fisher at De Montford University.

Amy Gill textiles
At Nottingham Trent I was taken by these neon floral and graphic textiles by Amy Gill.

Fun surface design by Ozlem Djafer
Fun portraiture based surface design by Ozlem Djafer at Bucks New University was based on fashion hierarchies.

abstract print by Katie Whitton at new designers
These super colourful skeins of abstract print are by Katie Whitton at Norwich University – another understandable award winner, this time from Tigerprint.

Radishes by Charlie O'Byrne
Charlie O'Byrne
A brave move to display your menswear prints on a fruit and veg stall, but I think it paid off Charlie O’Byrne! This UWE graduate interned with Louise Gray, which makes total sense since they are both lovers of all things bright and fun.

Oxana Koroviatskaia - modernist painterly brights
Oxana Koroviatskaia‘s modernist painterly brights were immensely appealing draped across the Glasgow School of Art stand.

New Designers show 2013-Emily Chapman
At London College of Communications I liked this colourful display of patterns by Emily Chapman.

printed textile design by Rosie Cook
Mock ups for graphic printed textile designs by Rosie Cook at Staffordshire University went down a storm when I posted them on instagram. Don’t forget, many of these images first appeared on my instagram feed, where you can view my pick of design graduates as I find them. Read about my favourite designs that follow a strong 50s trend here.

Categories ,2013, ,Amy Gill, ,Brights, ,Bucks New University, ,ceramics, ,Charlie O’Byrne, ,De Montford University, ,Emily Chapman, ,Emily Jane Fisher, ,Emma Cook, ,Glasgow School of Art, ,Hannah Bowen, ,Hannah Rampley, ,Harlequin Award, ,Katie Whitton, ,Leeds College of Art, ,London College of Communications, ,New Designers, ,Norwich University, ,Nottingham Trent, ,Oxana Koroviatskaia, ,Ozlem Djafer, ,Printed Textiles, ,review, ,Rosie Cook, ,Staffordshire University, ,surface design, ,Tigerprint, ,trends, ,UWE

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