The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2023 - Issue 34

bitefashion Fourteen University of Westminster BA Fashion Design graduates showed their collections during London Fashion Week this year. Jada Brookes looks at each designer’s influences and collection. T he University ofWestminster upgrad- ed its status from Graduate Fashion Week to feature in London Fashion Week 2023. Fourteen of its BA Fashion De- sign graduates were selected by an industry panel, including Fashion Academics Creat- ing Equality (FACE) member Caryn Frank- lin MBE, an alumnus of the BA Fashion De- sign course and winner of the 2022 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers Steven Stokey Daley, and Vogue’s online Chief Crit- ic Sarah Mower, to show their collections at the Marylebone Campus in June. Nothando Ngwawaira, Crow Main, Mae Donohoe, Lottie Robinson, Victoria Ole- jniczak, Grace Tayo, Ella Dexter, Eliza Douglas, Sam Donnelly-Boote, Anna Rók- usfalvy, Zachary Shaw, Nully Amiri, Nancy Stewart and Soma Faitanin formed the se- lected graduates. The collections explored influences of Afro-futurism, tactile jazz-in- spired knits, the 1960s French new wave, opulent Iranian layering, 1940s hop pickers, the paintings of Richard Smith, Polish folk costume and sculptural 3D printed pros- thetics, among others. The FACE Excellence Prize 2023 was pre- sented to Nothando for her ‘Afro-futurism’ menswear collection. In collaboration with the Graduate Fashion Foundation, a nation- al industry platform for fashion graduates, the award was created for non-White crea- tives by Fashion Academics Creating Equal- ity to celebrate style, creativity and quality. "The FashionWeek was a surreal experience, given that I was anxious about the event," Nothando said. “I honestly enjoyed seeing my clothes on the models and the runway, and the energy backstage was one of the top five moments in my life.” On winning the prize, the young graduate designer described it as equally im- pressive. “It is my first ever prize in a field I love, making it even more special. I enjoyed showing my portfolio on Afro-futurism and elaborating on my cultural research and de- velopment process. I appreciate the judges liked my ideas and approach towards my final collection.” Rosie Wallin, Course Leader of the BA Fashion Design course, commented: “As a course, we are committed to diversity, and as members of FACE, to carry our commit- ment into our teaching and curriculum. We support and encourage students from all backgrounds to study with us and take their place in the fashion industry. Our students are ambitious and highly skilled, and we are thrilled to be part of a long-needed change in the industry as it begins to reflect our so- ciety more fairly.” In the last few years, the course has taught and gained input from designers and aca- demics like Priya Ahluwalia, Nicholas Da- ley, Feben, A Sai Ta and Ezinma Mbeledogu. “We have taken seriously the need to build in diversity in the ways that fashion design is taught, from decolonising the curriculum to employing a more diverse teaching staff,” Rosie added. “Nothando is a fantastic stu- dent; that is why we chose to open this year’s press show with her impressive use of knit, colour, texture and cut.” Westminster University of Photography: Tony Wellington Lottie Robinson