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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Amelia’s Magazine | Graduate Fashion Week 2011 Gala Awards Show: Womenswear Knitwear and Tailoring

GFW Charlotte Waters by Claire Kearns
Charlotte Waters by Claire Kearns.

Now for the real meat of the Graduate Fashion Week Gala Awards show… the womenswear on show. Here are those designers who concentrated on tailoring, more about textures and knitwear.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Charlotte Waters 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Charlotte Waters 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Charlotte Waters 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Charlotte Waters 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Charlotte Waters 2011
Charlotte Waters of Salford showed a dark and moody collection with plenty of texture and knit. Intelligent Evolution was inspired by obsolete technology such as cassettes. Grunge with a modern twist – loved the over sized fibrous shoes.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Cindy M Warsono 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Cindy M Warsono 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Cindy M Warsono 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Cindy M Warsono 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Cindy M Warsono 2011
Cindy M Warsono by Hayley Warnham
Cindy M Warsono by Hayley Warnham.

I wasn’t massively keen on La Salle College of the Arts Singapore graduate Cindy M Warsono‘s collection of bulky cream hoodies and tight trousers.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jaskiran Hare 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jaskiran Hare 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jaskiran Hare 2011
Jaskiran Hare of Kingston University showed a monochrome collection based on traditional tailoring turned inside out and back to front.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jungo Kuroiwa 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jungo Kuroiwa 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jungo Kuroiwa 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Jungo Kuroiwa 2011
Jungo Kuroiwa of UCA Epsom favoured a very black approach as well: layered tailoring and lace all mixed up together to create interest.

GFW-Rory-Longdon_by_AlisonDay
Rory Longdon by Alison Day.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rory Longdon 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rory Longdon 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rory Longdon 2011
Rory Longdon went for subdued black and silver in his knitwear collection – but even a colour lover like me could admire these beautifully constructed garments – up close they were just amazing. Not for nothing did he win the overall Gala Award. He goes on to study an MA in Fashion Womenswear at the RCA this September.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Lyudmila Lane 2011
Lyudmila Lane of UCA Rochester stuck to lighter greys and orange in pleated shapes for Endless Sequence, medications inspired by the sculptures of Peter Jansen. The garments didn’t always work – I was much more interested in her intriguing shoes.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rachel Cogley 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rachel Cogley 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rachel Cogley 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rachel Cogley 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Rachel Cogley 2011
Rachel Cogley from University of Birmingham must surely have been inspired by Charlie Le Mindu – her fun collection borrowed heavily from his avante garde design aesthetic. Nonetheless I enjoyed her crazy big shouldered plaited hair coats and the poodle bag which matched both wig and coat.

naomi-law-gfw-gala-ume-sacraine
naomi-law-gfw-gala-ume-sacraine
Ume Sacraine by Naomi Law.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Ume Sacraine 2011
It was back to black for Ume Sacraine of De Montford University… who started with a panelled mini dress before moving on to a whole range of intriguing fringed, embossed and gnarled textures in a sombre palette.

Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Won Jee Chung 2011Graduate Fashion Week Gala show Won Jee Chung 2011
Finally, Won Jee Chung showed more monochrome, this time intarsia knit and a strangely unflattering bulky hooded top with sheer palazzo pants.

Categories ,Alison Day, ,black, ,Charlie le Mindu, ,Charlotte Waters, ,Cindy M Warsono, ,Claire Kearns, ,De Montford University, ,Endless Sequence, ,GFW, ,Graduate Fashion Week, ,Grey, ,Hayley Warnham, ,Intelligent Evolution, ,Jaskiran Hare, ,Jungo Kuroiwa, ,Kingston University, ,knitwear, ,La Salle College of the Arts, ,Lyudmila Lane, ,monochrome, ,Naomi Law, ,Peter Jansen, ,Rachel Cogley, ,Rory Longdon, ,Singapore, ,tailoring, ,Textures, ,UCA Epsom, ,UCA Rochester, ,Ume Sacraine, ,University of Birmingham, ,Womenswear, ,Won Jee Chung

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