Central Saint Martins is probably the most prestigious school of arts in the whole of the UK. Its credibility is not only solidified by its expensive tuition fees and central London location, but also by its famous alumni of leading fashion designers. It's no wonder that thousands of students heavily compete for a place upon a course there, and with the criteria set so high, many disappointed applicants are also unfortunately rejected.
Only the crème de la crème of the design world are therefore granted admission, so the standard amongst the resulting graduates is always impeccably high. It’s reported that 136 BA (Hons) students will graduate from Central Saint Martins this year alone, and just like every other year, the college has a Graduate show catwalking the very best of the emerging new talent.
This year’s show took place in its new King Cross location, and the graduates Erin Hawkes, Alan Lee, and Serena Gili (from left to right, below) were awarded the top prizes for their graduating collections. Keep an eye out for these up-and-coming British designers, as winning such a high profile and credible award certainly means that they will go on to make waves within the fashion world.
The L’Oréal Professional Award
The top prize of the night comes in the form of the L’Oréal Professional Award, and this was awarded to Erin Hawkes. Her collection channelled a hip hop nun, with layered up apron skirts mixed with graffiti denim bomber jackets.
The Runners up
Alan Lee was crowned the first runner up for his easy-to-wear collection which turned bombers and sweatshirts into tunics and loose fitting jackets. Meanwhile, third place went to Serena Gili with her eye catching collection featuring beaded bibs and egg-shaped skirts. Let’s hope that we get to see more of these designers’ work sooner rather than later. It’s always nice when leading retailers like Topshop or ASOS invest in their work and present them with the opportunity to create a small capsule collection for them. If this occurs, then we will really get to see what they can do.
Images: VogueUK
Via: Central Saint Martins Graduate Fashion Show 2012