“Graduate Fashion Week is an opportunity to discover what the future of fashion entails through those who, wide-eyed and hungry, have fully immersed themselves in its practices.”
GRADUATE FASHION WEEK
Graduate Fashion Week is an annual event that takes place at the beginning of June in the Old Truman Brewery. With more than 40 universities exhibiting, it’s an opportu- nity to discover what the future of fashion entails through those who, wide-eyed and hungry, have fully immersed themselves in its practices. For example, graduate collec- tions can vary from personal narratives cel- ebrating the Windrush generation to the everlasting influence of David Bowie and space-themed shininess. What everything has in common though is an accumulation of all they’ve learnt throughout their stud- ies, whether it’s the development of tex- tiles, garment constructions or research methods, and generating this into some- thing that’s representative of themselves. Taking place since 1991, Graduate
Fashion Week is run by the Graduate Fashion Council – a charity organisation with the aim of bridging the gap between the end of university and employment. With students attending universities in London having the advantage of being near the majority of company headquar- ters, the Graduate Fashion Council assists in supplying greater opportunities not just in the form of fashion week but in compe- titions held throughout the year (for exam- ple, the designing of the official t-shirt for BBC’s Children in Need 2019 campaign). Te Instagram page, @officialgf, provides an ongoing source of inspiration too by putting spotlight on designs from over the years: the mixed-print trousers and zip constructed top of knitwear designer Fraser Bruce Miller; a neon pink lace top worn under a golden brown suit tied at the waist by a student at Norwich University of Arts and sketches and samples of work in progress.
A timeline of British Menswear by researcher
Keren Protheroe (In London: Home of Menswear, a 2013 report written in collaboration with the British
Fashion Council and the Victoria & Albert Museum)
1666
The origins of the three-piece suit
1700s
The brogue shoe 1800s
The greatcoat/ Riding Coat 1800s
The Dandy 1817
The Wellington boot 1830
Tweel renamed tweed after an English merchant misread handwriting from a Hawick film
1849
The bowler hat 1860
The Norfolk jacket (adapted from military clothing)
1865
Henry Poole & Co creates the tuxedo
1914
The trench coat 1924
Oxford bags 1950s
Teddy Boys (Neo-Edwardianism) 1960s
The Peacock Revolution 1960
The floral shirt and tie
1970s Punk 1976
Bondage trousers 1980s
The New Romantic movement
www.focus-info.org FOCUS The Magazine 7
Tere is an element of competition due to the variety of awards distributed during the event. Company-sponsored awards have included the Debenhams Menswear Award, M&S Womenswear Award, Mothercare Childrenswear Award, and the TU Scholarships, giving opportunities to form connections within high street de- sign. In addition, there are those dedicated to other sectors, such as the Size? Fashion Photography Award and Drapers Fashion Publication Award, highlighting the large- ness of the industry but also the way every- thing comes together with a constantly evolving freshness. Its 25th anniversary took place in 2016, and as a window into the future for all forms of fashion design it continues to hold importance. Tis year’s event is at the Old Truman Brewery from Sunday 2nd to Wednesday 5th June, with tickets available to the public.
London Fashion Week Men’s runs
from Saturday 8th to Monday 10th June, making that first week of June somewhat of a focal point for menswear.
Instragram @ Officialgfw
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