graduate fashion: london college of fashion ba runway 2011

Words by Mpdclick’s London Trend Researcher Catherine Fuller…

Last week we were invited to see the offerings from this year’s graduates of the London College of Fashion’s, Fashion Design and Technology course.

It was no surprise that Charlotte Barry was awarded the ‘Best use of trimmings’ award for her elegant collection. The burnt orange colour palette and abundant use of trims and embellishment made for a stand-out collection. Stine Riis won the ‘Best use of fabrics’ award for her collection. Colour blocking, panelling and a stark contrast of mixing fur and PVC amongst other fabrics made for an almost futuristic collection. Wun Wun Nova Chiu won the coveted title of ‘Collection of the Year’. Her heavily detailed and intricate Moroccan inspired collection in a colour palette of almost neon colours displayed her unique eye and attention to detail.

Other stand out collections included Lien Bui who kicked off the proceedings with clean, asymmetric lines used on oversized silhouettes. Colour blocking and panelling were strong features of the collection. The second collection came from Nano Aoshima. A bold use of contrasting textures was the key to the collection with plenty of grey marl teamed with latex and quilted fabrics. Shapes were playful and curled trims added a signature twist. Anarchy and a slight 70s British punk feel was the vibe of Sean McGirr’s collection. These elements were updated with deconstructed tailoring, wide legged trousers and stripes. Mengyi Hu’s scarecrow inspired collection featured an interesting mix of gingham check, raffia, knitwear and leather. The collection, which had a slight heritage feel, was in a palette of reds and burgundy.

This year’s graduates did not fail to show the technical ability and fashion edge that we all expect to see from one of the world’s most prestigous universities.

Image: Charlotte Barry (top left and top centre), Stine Riis (top and bottom right), Wun Wun Nova Chiu, (bottom left and centre bottom).