Graduate Fashion Week

If you want to keep your finger on the fashion pulse, there is no better way than attending the annual event that is Graduate Fashion Week. Graduate fashion Week is a great way to find out about up and coming designers and know what is in store in the fashion future. If you find a designer that you like at Graduate Fashion week chances are you may be able to get hold of their creations for a fraction of the price of some of the more established designers. You can look original, support British designer talent and possible bag your self a real investment. Previous winners of graduate fashion week that have spring boarded to success have included Christopher Bailey, Giles Deacon, Hussein Chalayan, Stella McCartney, Danielle Scutt and Amy Molyneaux.

Graduate Fashion Week was launched in 1991 as a forum to showcase the very best BA Graduate fashion design talent in the UK. This year the annual event took place from 8th -12th June at Earls court and concluded with a grand finale Gala awards evening. Scouts from all over the world attend graduate fashion week hoping to spot the next big British talent with a touch of that quirkiness that makes British fashion so successful on a global scale. The event included a static exhibition and 23 shows over the four days. The show is sponsored by high street fashion store, River Island. The most outstanding collection is awarded the River Island Gold Award. The lucky winner will receive an impressive £20,000 prize and this is the only Award of its kind within UK fashion education.

Graduate fashion week is a show case for the best and worst of graduate talent and will often produce some hilarious results. It includes designs from weird to wearable and probably everything in between. But there is definitely an edginess and freshness about the whole event. Some of the Universities seem to produce amazingly talented designers in certain areas. Northumbria often shows some top prints, colour and knits. Westminster and Kingston often produce some of the more bizarre creations. De Montfort's show is usually quite unique as it runs the best course in Europe for corsetry and lingerie.

This article was written by Ceri Heathcote for Designerhighstreet.com For all the latest fashions including party cocktail dress and ladies evening dress