Fashion Scout can now announce the SS15 Graduate Showcase
complete line-up.
Alongside the Merit and Ones To Watch awards, the Graduate
Showcase was chosen by a panel who unanimously decided on the collective,
including Hilary Alexander, Robert Cavell-Clarke from Not Just A Label, Judith
Tolley of CFE, stylist Rebekah Roy and Fashion Scout Director Martyn Roberts.
This season's completed line up is made up of 11 Graduates, who include: Anita Hirlekar;
Camilla Grimes; Charlotte Knowles; Emma Hardstaff; Grace Weller;
Holly Jayne
Smith; James Kelly;
Luke Bullen; Ondrej Adamek; Rebecca Swann and
Quoi
Alexander.
A launch pad for new graduate talent, the Graduate Showcase during Fashion Scout is a platform to raise the profile of recently graduated emerging talent. Following
Graduate Fashion Week, Fashion Scout is one of the first places to see the very
best new UK Graduates and will take place in Fashion
Scout's venue at the Freemasons’ Hall in Covent Garden during London Fashion
Week.
Grace Weller from
Bath Spa University (above) was announced as the GFW 2014 Gold Award winner with Philip Treacy OBE presenting the Award
to Grace during GFW.
Anita Hirlekar's, previous designer of the Vogue X Muuse collaboration, collection included complex textural architecture which
was balanced beautifully by the simple bold stokes of colour throughout.
Charlotte Knowles' collection saw dark,
structured gowns offset with ethereal, sheer chiffon and thousands of tiny
pins to create a picture of dark creatures. She graduated from the London College of Fashion.
Emma Hardstaff, having previously studied at Edinburgh
University, won the David Band Textiles Award at
GFW. Now, having completed her Masters’ at the Royal College of Art in London,
she will show her latest collection as part of the Graduate Showcase.
Rebecca Swann of Nottingham Trent University (above) offered a textured collection of monochrome woven knits with a tactile quality and was presented at GFW 2014 with the Stuart Peters Knitwear Award. Swann is amongst some of the most notable graduates from Nottingham Trent with Aimee Dunn, Natasha Gilliland, Nga Wun (Kitty) Mok, Haomeng (Vicky) and Deng.
James Kelly is a designer with a huge interest in the strange, dreamy and
ambiguous in which his collections include explorations of texture and shape.
Camilla Grimes was awarded the Creative Catwalk Award by
Not Just A Label’s Stefan Siegal during GFW 2014 for her giant pink jackets and amazing faux fur
pieces.
Luke Bullen, LCF graduate's collection contains delicate white sheets with unfinished hems, with
the models’ faces only just visible underneath these unique creations. His
collection combine a mix of the ethereal and the dark.
Ondrej Adamek produces colourful, origami-like creations
that often tower above his models' heads or obstruct their faces entirely.
He was awarded with the L'Oreal Professionnel Creative Award, whose judging
panel included designer Christopher Kane at the Central Saint Martins graduate
show.
Quoi Alexander, Central Saint Martin’s graduate,
produces collections that work with an array of pieces made from woven
neon ribbons, coiled tape and net.
And lastly, Holly Jayne Smith from Birmingham City University featured high hats and bold prints along with monochrome stripes and cut-out details throughout GFW 2014. An aesthetic she's sure to bring to the Graduate Showcase.
By Lauren West
Images, courtesy of the designers