Graduate Fashion Week is the world’s leading fashion event for up-and-coming design talent, showcasing the work of more than 1000 talented students and graduates from universities around the world. A stronghold of creativity, Graduate Fashion Week features 22 catwalk shows and 30,000 guests each June. We met three stand-out students from Bath Spa University, who told us about their collections.
REBEKAH MARCH
“My collection was instinct; whenever I feel overwhelmed or happy, I think of Cornwall – a place of not only the best of memories, but the extraordinary scenery, smells, colours and textures that have painted the surrounding coast. Consequently I drew upon those earthly colours and rocky textures for my inspiration.
I have always loved creating jewellery, so the idea was formed that the coast and sea had bejewelled and imprinted its textures and colours, to create these garments that were jewellery pieces.
I created and dyed the devore myself and worked in the metal workshop to created rock like structures for the jewellery and for the garments. Each outfit had metal details: to the thousands of metal pins and metal chain loops that decorate the lace, and that also attach the contrast, lace and metal ring mesh fabrics together.
Design by Rebekah March
Each outfit was organic in its construction – focusing on the fabric and the way it fell and moved elegantly for the female figure. With each outfit I had an idea of the finished piece, but it developed as it was being created. I worked from instinct and trusted that each alteration within this development of the garment would enhance. I do hope I have succeeded in doing that.”
https://instagram.com/beximarch/
HOLLY PENDLEBURY
“’IN THE MOMENT’ is a functional fashion forward women’s wear ski range for a/w16. My main inspiration for this collection was the idea of adrenaline being a natural pain relief, and the feeling you get whilst you are skiing, which the late Andreas Fransson describes:
‘So here I am again in this game with the mountains, could you get the thrill of your life and feel truly alive if you knew they were perfectly safe, would your conscience be completely in the moment if you didn’t know this was serious business, would it be a game worth playing at all if the outcome was certain.’
Design by Holly Pendelbury
I looked into microscopic images of Velcro and drained energy, and manipulated this to create my print. Developing from the idea that adrenaline is a pain relief, I looked into protective clothing. This then developed into me exploring the idea of light and reflection, which resulted in my main fabrics being reflective or iridescent.”
http://www.hollypendlebury.com/
DEBORAH COUNSELL
“Hidden Corruption is a capsule wardrobe with reversible garments for the busy working family woman. It is inspired by nature and architecture in colour and form, using eco-ethics to inform design and fabric choice to give style, season and occasion longevity.”
http://www.artsthread.com/portfolios/hiddencoruption/
Design by Deborah Counsell
