Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: FAD Awards


Sabine Bindere by Maria Papadimitriou aka Slowly the Eggs

Last week, salve the best young design talents in the UK topped off London Fashion Week at the Fashion Awareness Direct awards, shop held at Freemason’s Hall. Packed full of family and friends, the atmosphere (as well as being stifling hot – sort it out!) was as relaxed as it was enjoyable – an emotional end to the long journey that the 25 finalists had been on, there were tears!


Gemma Halliwell: winner of Commercial Awareness category

For a bit more background information, read the reviews from Amelia and Matt that they wrote after the 2010 awards last year, with both commenting on the heartwarming nature of the show. Less fraught with the usual Fashion Week pushing and shoving, the FAD show is really about the emerging talents of the upcoming design generation. Just like Matt, I was almost reduced into a blubbering mess by the sheer skills and inspiration of all who were taking part – I defy anyone to go to this show and not feel a bit weepy!

I should explain: basically FAD is a charitable endeavour that aims to give young people the confidence to succeed in fashion – if the enthusiasm and energy of last years winner Karmen Marie Parker is anything to go by, they have definitely suceeded. Over a series of intensive workshops held by the University of East London for 16-19 year old budding designers, the 25 showcasing on the catwalk on the evening were selected from an initial 100 entrants. Out of this final 25, the judges select and agree on an overall winner and several runner ups.

Without further ado…to the winners! 17 year old Sabine Bindere, from Barking and Dagenham College was awarded the top prize of a placement at George at Asda. Her design was one of my clear favourites during the show, as despite being put together from start to finish in just five days, showed originality and technical skill. Her double hooded dress featured a gorgeous graffiti print in red and black that Sabine created herself and would not look out of place on the high street today.



Among the designs that walked the catwalk, there were many that showed clear talent and promise that I really admired. One of these was Yasemin Cakli from City and Islington College. Her so-bright-you-need-sunglasses orange jumpsuit paired with a flared see through plastic cape was absolutely stunning. Worn by one of the best models in the show, the show-stopper of a look was a rip roaring success with the crowd as it strutted past us towards the photographers. Unsurprisingly, Calkli was awarded the runner up prize of a placement with River Island.



Yasemin Cakli by Michelle Pegrume

The beginning and end of the night was started and finished with some words from last year’s winner, Karmen Marie Parker, who gave giddy but very mature and honest advice to everyone who had taken part – the whole night I had to keep pinching myself to remind me just how young these designers were – and so there you have it. I for one, cannot wait for next year.

All photography by Florence Massey

Categories ,A/W 2011, ,Barking and Dagenham College, ,City and Islington College, ,FAD, ,FAD Awards, ,Florence Massey, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Gemma Halliwell, ,George at Asda, ,Karmen-Marie Parker, ,London Fashion Week, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Michelle Pegrume, ,River Island, ,Sabine Bindere, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,University of East London, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,Yasemin Cakli

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Amelia’s Magazine | Graduate Fashion Week 2011 Gala Awards Show: The Winners

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show 2011-Rory Longdon
Rory Longdon was a worthy winner of the Graduate Fashion Week 2011 George Gold Award. Okay, order it’s a gold award, order I geddit already.

Just over two weeks ago I was invited to attend the Gala show for the Graduate Fashion Awards. I’ve not been back to the student fashion shows since I graduated 15 years ago (gulp). Back then they were held in the Islington Business Centre and I don’t remember much about them at all – I had already decided that my future did not lie in catwalk shows and so I only had a static stand to show off my printed textiles designs… which I had honed in the knowledge that I would prefer to pursue a career in illustration. Isn’t it funny how the circle turns? I never have been able to get away from fashion… but then again nor have I abandoned illustration. I could never have predicted then just how my life would have panned out in the years since.

Joey and Sam Faiers TOWIE by Munroe Bergdorf
Joey Essex and Sam Faiers from TOWIE. Photo by Munroe Bergdorf.

It’s been a shaky year for the Graduate Fashion Show brand – the sponsorship that was needed for it to continue was finally taken on by George at Asda at the last minute. Select guests were treated like royalty – the cast of TOWIE may not be considered the height of style in most forward thinking fashion circles but they were feted like true celebrities at the Gala show. Myself and Naomi? We couldn’t get past the cordons in the middle of the Earl’s Court conference centre for a drink and a natter with friends beforehand (I tried unhooking the cordon, the security was not very amused). Inside the TOWIE crew primped and preened, basking in the attention. Sound familiar? Exactly the same fiasco for Matt Bramford last year. So instead we tried our luck at the brightly coloured George stand, to no avail, though their PR was happy to give me their spiel, drink in hand. More than one woman was wearing the same dress… but then that’s the dangers of mass fashion for you.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show 2011-George

Inside the Gala show area notable bodies from the fashion world were relegated to the fifth row, whilst TOWIE agents hogged front row seats. (There was one next to me, I did my research later.) Luckily I was able to snag one at the last minute or there would be no photos here for you. All of this preamble pretty much sums up the atmosphere of the Gala show, which was all about the glitz and the razzmatazz. The mannered presenting from Clothes Show stalwarts Jeff Banks (complete with inappropriate comments) and his cohort Caryn Franklin (for whom I have a very large soft spot) was at times incredibly painful.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show 2011-Lauren Brown & Sophia Sabados, UCA Epsom
Graduate Fashion Week 2011 review-Lauren Brown & Sophia SabadosGraduate Fashion Week 2011 review-Lauren Brown & Sophia Sabados
I was excited to see Lauren Brown & Sophia Sabados – students from UCA Epsom (where I have lectured) – win the Media and Design Award (presented by Grace Woodward) for their magazine.

A myriad of famous guests (Sophie Ellis-Bexter – new album to promote, the Sugababe Heidi Range, Carole White, she of Premier modelling agency fame) were led onstage to present awards as this year’s crop of excitable graduates whooped and a-hollered. It was nice to hear everyone in such a celebratory mood… but when one of the presenters declared that she hoped all graduates would go into paid jobs straight away I couldn’t help but have a little bit of a snigger.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Christina Economou 2011
International Award winner Christina Economou of the Istituto Marangoni, Paris.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Dominique Kral 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Dominique Kral 2011
Zandra Rhodes Catwalk Textiles Award winner Dominique Kral of Northbrook College Sussex.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Wong Jee Chung 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Wong Jee Chung 2011
Stuart Peters Visionary Knitwear Award winner Won Jee Chung of Nottingham Trent University.

Oh my days… here I am all these years down the line and I’ve yet to figure out how I can make a proper living out of my fashion textiles degree. It’s a lovely sentiment, but it’s just not the reality of the fashion industry. This is a place where only the most dedicated survive… or those with rich/famous parents. Unless you pursue a career in the mass fashion industry. A degree in fashion is now about so much more than just design, and the UK is still the world industry leader for well trained young fashion creatives in all kinds of fashion related disciplines. There was an element of realism in the recommendation to look to industry for jobs, presumably an effort to quash too many unrealistic ‘next McQueen’ expectations. Since I graduated the choice of degrees which train people to work in the fashion industry has multiplied massively. It’s now possible to pursue a plethora of different avenues such as styling and promotion which really weren’t available when I went to university back in the early 90s. All of this corresponds with a massive growth in our insatiable desire to consume mass fashion… do you see a connection? My, how I struggle with this industry at times.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Felix Wolodymyr ChablukSmith 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Felix Wolodymyr ChablukSmith 2011
Menswear Award winner Felix Wolodymyr Chabluk Smith of Edinburgh School of Art.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Marrisa Owen 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Marrisa Owen 2011
Womenswear Award winner Marrisa Owen of University of Central Lancashire.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rory Longdon 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rory Longdon 2011
George Gold Award winner Rory Longdon of Nottingham Trent University.

The Gala show awards closed in a huge tumble of gold foil more suited to a crucial key change at a boy band concert. Oh how times have changed. I wish this year’s graduates all the best. More on the winners and other show finalists coming up shortly.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show 2011-Rory Longdon finale

Categories ,Carole White, ,Caryn Franklin, ,Christina Economou, ,Dominique Kral, ,Edinburgh School of Art, ,Felix Wolodymyr Chabluk Smith, ,Gala Show, ,George at Asda, ,George Gold Award, ,GFW, ,Grace Woodward, ,Graduate Fashion Awards, ,Heidi Range, ,Islington Business Centre, ,Istituto Marangoni, ,Jeff Banks, ,Joey Essex, ,Lauren Brown, ,Mass fashion, ,Media and Design Award, ,Menswear Award, ,Munroe Bergdorf, ,Northbrook College Sussex, ,Nottingham Trent University, ,paris, ,Peters Visionary Knitwear Award, ,Premier, ,Rory Longdon, ,Sam Faiers, ,Sophia Sabados, ,Sophie Ellis-Bexter, ,Sugababes, ,The Clothes Show, ,TOWIE, ,UCA Epsom, ,Womenswear Award, ,Won Jee Chung, ,Wong Jee Chung

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