Grazia’s Graduate Fashion Showcase: London College Of Fashion’s Graduates Will Fill You With Hope

**Can you please explain your final collection?**My graduate collection revolves around fusing traditional elements from my home country, Malaysia, with modern technology. I wanted to create something that pays tributes to the past but also has a place in the future.**What has been your biggest inspiration?**I wanted to showcase the beauty of my diverse, multi-cultural home country as a sign of appreciation. The first part of my inspiration was drawn from the Wayang Kulit (shadow puppets - a traditional Malay pastime). I reinterpreted the intricate motifs as well as dramatic shapes of the puppets onto various materials using the laser cutter. From a young age, I have always been captivated by the enthralling religious festival of Thaipusam about faith and endurance. Looking into the variety of Kavadis (a decorated canopy) carried by the devotees, I found inspiration for unconventional ways things can drape and hang on the body.**Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**Iris Van Herpen. Striving at the field where fashion meets technology, Iris perfects all the unconventional dressmaking techniques that she uses and creates harmonious relationships between the garments and the wearer.**What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**With the development of new materials as well as garment cleaning systems, I believe that technology will enable designers to push the boundaries of commercial fashion. Conceptual designs will be made to be more accessible, practical and comfortable. **What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**The opportunity to do an industry placement year! With the support and encouragement from the LCF team, I interned at Christopher Kane and McQ by Alexander McQueen in departments from design, sample room to product development. I really enjoyed the hands-on experience where I put the skills my university gave me to use and contribute to inspiring brands that I am passionate about!**What's your ambition now you've graduated?**I want to fulfill my full potential in a creative role where I can showcase and continue to develop versatile design skills. It is important to me that what I do contributes to inducing positive change in the ethics of fashion.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**The concept of the collection dives into the expression of my own identity through the narrative of memory in family, place, experience and the material environment; all inspired by my grandmother's house. Looking at the influence of time on both the old house and the family, and how it has affected my aesthetic as a creative. It is also a story of femininity, as the house has been passed down from woman to woman since several generations ago.**What has been your biggest inspiration?**The project also aims to explore imperfection as perfection, looking at the broken, decadent and worn-out surfaces and objects in the building, as well as in the family; rearticulating the notion of the beauty and perfection and how one can choose to perceive this. The design inspiration explores the narrative which has been created through photographs, belongings, texts, connections to people and the space of the house. These inspire the mood, colour palette and textiles. **Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**I would say that my family are my biggest inspiration, and together we have influenced each other within our different but yet correlated fields. The main objective of the collection is to create a brand and concept store in Barcelona in collaboration with all the members of my family. The store, or in better words, the gallery, would not only showcase the brand's fashion collection, but also the artwork by artist Rosa Galindo Roura (my mother) and the interiors and furniture design by Monso X Consegal architects (my father and brother). I'm very inspired by LOEWE, as the brand affirms that craft is their essence. They have the LOEWE's Collection, featuring art in their collections and stores, and merging various fields of the arts together.**What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**I deeply hope that the fashion industry in the next 10 years makes a shift into a slow philosophy, in taking care of every single detail and considering craft as the main essence of the fashion industry. The brands should aim to produce timeless fashion, garments should be based on a story and identity. These will add value to the product, making the consumer part of the story rather than just a 'buyer'. The products in fashion brands should be key pieces that never go out of style, clothes that are life enhancing.**What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**My highlight during my time of study at LCF has been this final year. Being at the university's studio every day, with my peers and tutors, in order to create the best collection to represent myself was a blessing. Moreover, despite being taken away from that environment due to the global pandemic, I've learnt the power of self-adapting, and that it is through hard times when we can show how much potential we have as human beings and as creatives.What's your ambition now you've graduated? Now that I have graduated my ambition is to gain experience in order to purchase my dream of creating a family fashion/art/design brand in Barcelona. Merging all the arts together and becoming a highly refined, personal and cultural space to be explored as a gallery and where consumers are invited to be inspired.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**My Everyman collection aims to target the womenswear gap in the male dominated market of technical, functional and outerwear brands. The focus is the modification of everyday pieces (denim jacket, blazer) of a woman's wardrobe to suit emergency situations like floods, wildfires, earthquakes etc. Designing with the woman in mind, the collection draws from sportswear and outerwear characteristics. The purpose is to protect the wearer in all situations. The core ethos is that style and comfort may not need to come at the cost of functionality and safety.**What has been your biggest inspiration?**Initially my inspiration was the bushfires in Australia earlier this year, looking into emergency uniform and clothes suited to extreme weather conditions. It was evident that the everyday person is often ill prepared for unexpected drastic environmental changes. I wanted to create a collection that was not just an expendable piece of adornment but almost a piece of protective equipment that is stylish as well as protective.**Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**1017 Alyx 9sm and A-cold-wall are both my top stylistic inspirations as their attention to detail and subtle branding really elevates their aesthetic and brand identity. On the opposing spectrum, technical brands Arc'teryx and Rains inspire me to innovate simple functions and constructions in an elegant way.**What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**I would hope the fashion landscape will come leaps and bounds both in terms of technology and sustainability. With the current climate change crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, we have been forced to rethink what fashion could be. I believe with great hope that we will move towards a sustainable, digitally-focused inclusive industry that has greater accountability.**What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**The highlight has to be the camaraderie amongst the students. The amount of work we produce often takes a real toll on not only our physical but also mental health. However my peers have become my support network, everyone is in it together and I have formed really healthy outlooks on supporting fellow designers.**What's your ambition now you've graduated?**I have, since completing my degree, developed an unwavering interest in both sustainable and technical innovation. I aim to develop and contribute to the growth of the stylistic technical womenswear market.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**My collection, PangaStatic, is a conceptual VR/AR digital world reflecting on escaping from our current fallen world. It's a mix of utopia meets dystopia highlighting sustainability and technology versus the superficial self of humanity in which the perfect human now embodies. **What has been your biggest inspiration?**Before C-19 I was really reflecting on how behind the times the world is. So my inspiration stems from my experiences with sustainable brands and extinction rebellion - imaging a dream state of the future. Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration? For this project it would be New York based queer, black performance artist Jacolby Satterwhite. In his work he expresses views in the form of his world reflecting on race, sexuality and gender. **What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**Sadly I think fast fashion will still be around but I hope more people will be aware and educated about the production cycle within the fashion industry and its repercussions. Hopefully in 10 years I will have my own company which will be completely transparent and fair in thoughtful fashion. **What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**Besides sneaking in wine in the evening, pushing my capabilities and putting myself in uncomfortable situations where I have challenged myself to the point I can look back and be proud. What's your ambition now you've graduated? To keep learning and growing. Hopefully I will be in a job after graduating within the fashion industry and have the chance to get started on making my final garments that I haven't had the time to complete.

Can you please explain your final collection? The name of this collection is Anima - it explores our predetermined notion of the other gender and what s/he should look like and at the same time our struggle to accept all of who we are. I want to give power to people and I think this collection shows that. **What has been your biggest inspiration?**My biggest inspiration for this project has been Lilith - she is a mythical figure who has wandered the earth for 4000 years, featuring in the imagination of writers, artists and poets. She has come to represent so much during the centuries, from this wild and unkept woman who hates babies and preys on men, to a motherly figure who is nurturing, free and peaceful. She very much represents all sides that women today have to face or be categorised as. **Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**It's always Alexander McQueen! I just love how he managed to combine beauty and romance with something unsettling, whether it was the concept, material combinations, the tailoring or styling. It's very powerful and inspiring. **What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**I'm hoping that the fashion industry will slow down and become more sustainable. I guess the silver lining to Covid-19 is that it seems like the fashion industry really has woken up and realised the importance of a greener world as well as full inclusiveness and transparency as we can see with #BlacklivesMatter. I do also think we will see a new retail model - an increase in shopping online and maybe even virtual fashion shows all together. **What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**I think the biggest thing is being surrounded by so many talented people. My peers, my teachers, guest speakers – it's truly inspiring!**What's your ambition now you've graduated?**Find a job that I love! I am excited about getting out in the world, showing my work and learning more about this world of fashion and footwear.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**This collection, entitled Survivalist, explores ultra-functional and adaptable outdoor-wear. Consisting of predominantly transformable garments, my designs aim to provide wearers versatility, comfort, and relief in challenging, changing environments. One garment includes a jacket that can transform into a backpack when the wearer gets too hot, providing them with comfort and extra storage. Using a combination of upcycled deadstock fabrics and technical materials, such as Gore-Tex, including waterproof, breathable, anti-tear & UV protective finishes, the range is created through sustainable materiality. What has been your biggest inspiration?Two years ago I became estranged from my parents, and was made homeless. I remember feeling a deep severity in a totally uncertain situation, which became the core inspiration in designing garments that could quickly adapt in new conditions. I created two types of garments in my final graduate collection; ones that are specifically designed for homeless people and ones that are for everyday people. My work aims to change the perception of functional stylish fashion, into a vehicle that can positively impact lives.**Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**The designer I find most inspiring would be a fellow LCF alumni, Bethany Williams, for the social and sustainable agendas she created with her brand. Another big designer who inspires me greatly is Mihara Yasuhiro. Some of his transformable garments are incredibly innovative and really demonstrate his skills in creative pattern cutting. **What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**I think because of the social and environmental movements we've seen in recent times, we're definitely seeing a change in consumer and retail behaviour. I think in 10 years, brands will be more ethically responsible within their supply chain or face the risk of being 'cancelled'. **What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**Although it's been an unfortunate year for graduating students, with the press shows being cancelled, campuses closed and no photoshoots, there have still been many highlights during my time at LCF. The biggest highlight would be the people you meet, in particular my tutor, David Hopwood. His level of care towards students is both immeasurable and inspiring, and lessons I will forever carry with me beyond education.**What's your ambition now you've graduated?**After graduation, I want to start my own social enterprise, with the agenda of helping homeless and displaced communities. In the future, I hope to train and employ homeless people into the production process so that they can begin to re-build their lives.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**The collection was mostly developed through draping fabrics and garments on the body. I would say the final outcome was a mix between masculine and feminine, structured and oversized outerwear and super tight-fitting feminine garments.**What has been your biggest inspiration?**Most of my work was informed by draping, deconstructing and reconstructing garments, so I guess the biggest inspiration was how you can fit things in unconventional ways around the body. I was also really inspired by vintage workwear, yachting supplies and objects that I found.**Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**I have loved Margiela for as long as I can remember. I also love Ottolinger, another designer that I am obsessed with is Charlotte Knowles.**What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**I hope it will be super-sustainable and brands will continue pushing boundaries. I am particularly excited to see what new developments there will be with regards to fabrics and technology.**What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**The highlight for me was the period of the final year where we were in the studio everyday. You spend your days around your classmates and begin to feel inspired by the people around you - it definitely pushes you to work harder.**What's your ambition now you've graduated?**My main ambition is to find work, but I am grateful for the time we have now to work on our own projects. Initially the pandemic seemed to have halted all my plans, but at least I can use this time to develop my skills.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**My collection, Sane Insanity, questions Shakespeare´s Ophelia´s mental health - is she insane or deceptive? It will explore sanity and insanity by juxtaposing motion and control, fabric manipulation and flowing elements alongside rawness and clean tailoring. These craft driven pieces, made from natural fibers and dyed with flowers, caters for the modern, sustainability-conscious woman. **What has been your biggest inspiration?**For "Sane Insanity" I drew inspiration from my muse, Shakespeare's Ophelia. She is deceptive, intelligent and courageous. Hiding behind the mask of insanity, not to appear as a threat to the dangerous people around her, she communicates her awareness of the intrigues through her choice of flowers she hands out to specific characters (Act 4, scene 5).I combined this with my passion for craft and ambition to highlight craft´s relevance within the contemporary fashion landscape. **Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**I draw inspiration from creatives such as Cy Twombly, Sandro Botticelli and Jil Sander. **What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**Due to COVID 19, the fashion industry has been forced to reevaluate itself, resulting in more people working towards a more sustainable future. I believe that we are seeing exciting change happening at this point.In ten years from now, we will hopefully have slowed down production and consumption, have an increasingly digital and efficient design process and fashion will largely be consumed on digital and virtual platforms.This is why it is so important to re-imagine craft's role and preserve its cultural, creative, symbolic and emotional value. **What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**There were many highlights, however spending twelve hours a day in the studios at Curtain Road with my great group of friends is what I will miss the most. **What's your ambition now you've graduated?**My future vision is to bring positive change to the fashion industry by developing solutions to reduce the negative influence on the environment and labour forces and to further the appreciation of craft. I wish to explore my ideas further during an MA or working for a company with the same vision.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**This BA collection brings into focus innovative cutting and speculative living. Built around the idea of affordable and sustainable fashion, it uses fast manufacturing, one-piece pattern cutting techniques and easily recyclable fabrics. I imagined that the garments, mostly made out of one piece cloth, were designed for the transition period before moving to Mars, in which case we might lose the freedom to express our identity through clothes due to necessity to wear adaptive spacesuits.**What has been your biggest inspiration?**The idea for the project was driven by the need to research and discover new ways of creating sustainable fashion, and most importantly – making it more accessible.**Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**Usually, I find the biggest inspiration from the work of painters and architects, especially modern art. So far the biggest influence that art had on my work was during my last project - I was researching Malevich's 'Black Square' and the idea of a complete reduction to the very thought of a 'thing'.**What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**I would like to believe that we will improve and change into a more sustainable industry. Aesthetically-wise, I do not think fashion will change that much. Although the development of technology is extremely fast, I believe it will mostly have an impact on the manufacturing part rather than design.**What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**Days completed with half-price sushi with my friends after 13 hours of working on the project.**What's your ambition now you've graduated?**I would like to explore different angles of the industry and work for a couple years to gain experience but eventually I aim to have my own brand.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**A melancholic interpretation of hopefulness and innocence. Influenced by a Sofia Coppola-fuelled teenage obsession, and the fine line between beautiful imaginations and disturbing desires – it is dreamy but ghostly, an offset pretty. Playfully combining exposure with modestly through lingerie references and exaggerated volumes.**What has been your biggest inspiration?**I always rely heavily on the music and lyrics of Lana Del Rey when designing. My collections use her as a soundtrack because she encapsulates such sensitivity and vulnerability, which is a big part of my work. **Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**Simone Rocha will forever be one of my biggest idols! I had the pleasure of interning for her a few seasons back, and to be part of a team of female creatives was so exciting – plus both Simone and her mother were truly so kind and inspiring. I value the unapologetic femininity of her work and how it's so elegant that it can make any woman feel this beautiful strength, it's like ammunition! **What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**My hope for the fashion industry in 10 years is that it will have turned away from mass markers and into an era relying more on made-to-order and limited production. As much as COVID-19 has been a drastic shock for fashion, it's forced the necessary self-evaluation of how unhealthy current demand is for both the environment and designers; while simultaneously convincing consumers that their commodity-orientated lifestyles are unnecessary.**What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**Studying at LCF was really a dream come true for me, and I would have to say the highlight was being taught that we shouldn't try to fit any designer archetype! They encouraged us to challenge ourselves as much as possible to reinvent the industry, both through sustainable practices, but also by finding our own niche identity.**What's your ambition now you've graduated?**Graduating right now definitely brings a lot of uncertainty and challenges, but LCF has trained us these last three years to take any issue and find creative solutions! My goal a few years down the line would be to start my own label that encourages women who are gentle and feminine to shamelessly be themselves – to make tangible representations of how you can be soft but still strong.

**Can you please explain your final collection/project in a few brief sentences?**Nature, our beautiful world and its landscapes are at the heart of my final collection - focusing on how humans interact with nature and the damage caused by us being the main focal point. The collection explores the deconstruction and reconstruction of materials with worn vintage garments. Inspiration has also been taken from romantic, free-flowing elegant dresses, deconstructed developments and historical workwear garments from the 1920's and 1930's.**What has been your biggest inspiration?**My family and friends but my biggest inspiration throughout my university years has been my grandmother, my collection 'Winnie by Mollie' is in loving memory of Winifred Jean McLaren (Winnie). Winnie was a superhero!**What fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**I have found massive inspiration from looking at artwork by Zaria Forman, Annegret Soltau and Jenny Saville. I also looked to photographers Walker Evans, Jackie Nickerson and August Sander. Dutch clothing brand GANNI and fashion designers Molly Goddard and Cecilie Bahnsen are names in fashion which I look to for inspiration. Goddard and Bahnsen combine original craftsmanship to large scale doll-like masterpieces which I have fallen in love with.**What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**I hope people are wearing whatever they want to wear. I hope fashion has no boundaries and has become completely non-binary. I think it is important for all brands to think and produce responsibly. I would personally like to see more people buying into and supporting sustainable production, packaging and brands as well as encouraging and purchasing from independent brands and businesses.**What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**Seeing my personal development as a designer, creator, product developer and researcher has been a long process. I am proud of the work I have produced and believe that my student placement year working as a pattern cutter at McQ Alexander McQueen has helped me to progress and become a more creative individual.**What's your ambition now you're graduated?**My main ambition is to pursue my career dreams of becoming a creative pattern cutter/maker and hopefully have the opportunity of working across all areas in the fashion market from high-street to luxury to gain more experience before moving forward with my own label 'Winnie By Mollie'.Please note that the knitwear in this collection has been created in collaboration with Anya Aldred.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**My final collection is called What is your Qabil? (Tribe). It's a story about my mum, who went through the civil clan war in 1988 in Somaliland at a young age. The Somali population became dispersed and widely distributed throughout the world thus creating a diaspora, forcing my mother to leave her country without her parents and move to Amsterdam as a refugee. Through her story I will be re-using her old traditional clothes that she had worn in Amsterdam.What has been your biggest inspiration? My biggest inspiration comes from my mum - I've always looked to her. I loved how she would always keep her tradition and culture close with her, especially in a western country. Being born and raised in Amsterdam, I didn't really know about my own heritage that much, that was something I felt that I needed to learn more about. And that was when my mum told me about her story and how she moved to Holland. That definitely opened my eyes, seeing how strong she was and still is today. It was definitely sad but very inspirational, because I know that there are many people out there with a similar story who are standing strong. Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration? I feel since studying at LCF I have been learning more about designers , I have a few that I have looked up to but one that has inspired me the most is alumna Bethany Williams. I love her collections, they're all so beautifully made. She focused on sustainability and social consciousness, and that's why through this collection I wanted to make sure that my mum's story was heard. I wanted it to be both environmentally friendly yet hold a memory through her old garments.What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years? Definitely more sustainable. I'm hoping that there'll be more diversity too as at the moment I don't see that much. What's your ambition now you've graduated? I want to still work within the fashion industry and learn more about the professional working environment. In my own time I would like to start my own collection with a story or message that I could share with people, as I feel my collection is my voice and that's how I express myself.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**My womenswear collection 'Steel Magnolias' is defined as, "A woman who is traditionally feminine with an uncommon fortitude". This collection has protective features within each garment such as stab-proof Kevlar upcycled into feminine silhouettes to build confidence for the customer.**What has been your biggest inspiration?**My biggest inspiration for this collection is Killing Eve. For me, Villanelle represents female empowerment because she breaks the mould of how a woman is viewed within society.**Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**Alexander McQueen is my biggest inspiration because he told a story through his collections; each collection had a meaning or statement to show his audience.**What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**I think the two big driving forces of the future of fashion will be a blend of digital technology mixed with sustainability.**What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**One of my main highlights of studying at LCF was having a class on future fashion technologies, for example virtual reality designing and how the future of fashion can be more sustainable.**What's your ambition now you've graduated?**I want to have my own fashion label that has sustainability as fundamental to the brand, although I want to gain industry experience before I do so.

**Can you please explain your final collection?**The main concept is about anti-urbanisation - in this case, by projecting the daily objects and building styles of Taiwan, I celebrate the irreplaceable aesthetic that has been looked down on. **What has been your biggest inspiration?**My own experience as a teenager in Taiwan. All I wanted was to dine in pretty restaurants with AC and live in modern minimalistic apartments with lifts. I reflected a lot on my own identity, harvesting so much beauty and appreciation whilst walking through the streets of Taipei. I don't get angry when walking around my neighborhood anymore - I stopped looking up to Western culture. **Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**I personally love the silhouette of Yohji Yamamoto's work, his unique way of shaping the body is inspiring. I am constantly learning how other people interpret fashion by studying their clothes - I used to go through my mom's closet to look at hems, or go to the mall to seek fabric choices. **What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**We will appreciate things we have neglected over the years, such as sustainable and thoughtful fashion. **What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**I had never taken anything so seriously. I had to be on top of my game - meaning showing up at 8:30am every day. It is challenging, but so is the fashion industry. If there is any highlight of my journey, I would say the walk to school every morning. **What's your ambition now you've graduated?**Where I'm from doesn't really have a friendly market for fashion design. People don't buy from local designers so to get into the industry in Taiwan, you will need to switch to fashion business or production. However, persistence is one of the most important things I learned at LCF. I plan to work part time and hopefully sign up for competitions and awards, whilst pitching ideas to potential clients. It's not going to be easy, but easy is boring!

**Can you please explain your final collection?**Adopting industrial design methodology, knitted textiles were reconfigured through 3D model building to make postmodern women's utilitarian clothing. The knitted down jacket is thermo- sensitive, indicating temperature fluctuation by changing colour; where the red extended scarf is 3D printed on linen, incorporating wire and components inside the hollow space in each unit that generate heat when turned on.This project aims to find a common language between fashion and the electronics industry, to dilute the image of bulky and masculine utilitarian-wear with soft knitted textiles.**What has been your biggest inspiration?**This project is inspired by 'Jugaard', a Hindi word that stands for low-tech innovations that fix the problems and bend the rules. It can also be interpreted as frugal engineering.**Which fashion designers/creatives would you cite as your biggest inspiration?**Massimo Osti.**What do you think fashion will look like in 10 years?**I think the pace will slow down, while consumers become more careful when making purchasing decisions. The material innovation will change the way we design and wash clothes. Most importantly, the fashion industry will become more generous and ambitious, engaging with healthcare, or electronic sectors to shape the future clothing that actually cares for the wellbeing of wearers.**What's been your highlight during your time studying at LCF?**I met the most encouraging and inspiring tutors and technicians on the knitwear course.**What's your ambition now you've graduated?**I wish to re-engineer knitwear to make high performance wearables.