Victoria Rowe 2013

Fluorescent yellow has always been a colour which has both transfixed and terrified me. Periodically fashion bloggers will employ it in contrast to their own monochrome wardrobe and in the blink of an eye the shade will fall out of favour and vanish in an instant. Unlike those dime a dozen fashion bloggers, Victoria Rowe has managed to employ this tricky shade in the most clever of ways- paired with the sassiness of a Disney Villain. That's the impression I was struck with and couldn't shake- the smouldering eyeshadow, slick black boots and the sensational leather jacket all screamed evildoer. It seems fitting that while the world eagerly awaits more trailers for the latest DC blockbuster, Suicide Squad (not sure how to feel about the title tbh), I trawl the Westminster archives for a designer who inspires such beauty and darkness. Purposefully threadbare sweaters and skirts shrouded the body in multiple layers and removed the usual sweet and honestly tacky connotations of fluorescent yellow. Instead of resenting what that peculiar shade of yellow represents amongst commercial practice I have something else to consider now.

*Images via Westminster Fashion

Caroline Day 2015

Revolutionaries such as Ari Seth Cohen and his mature lady muses have changed public perception of senior citizens but also personal style. The colours, textures, cuts and patchwork all remind me of the quirky creations you might see at a Country Womens Association in your typical small town. The eclectic, homely and a cacophony of materials have shaped Caroline Day's graduate collection at the Westminster Fashion show. Judicious pinning and ruching helped to create a more sculptural figure which was in turn smothered by a large billowing cape inspired by the chic boudoir jackets of yesteryear. Combined with the lace doilies from your grandmothers house, quite possibly her antique quilt and treasures from her wardrobe accumulated over a lifetime. There's a definite sense that well-worn clothes are being cited as possible inspirations, reinforced only by clunky school shoes in contrast to ragged hems. For anyone who was left feeling a bit lost amongst the couture collections, saddened by the prospect of never seeing them in person much less wearing those spectacular frocks be comforted in the fact that you can create your own brand of cool clothing.

*Images via Westminster Fashion

Louise Alsop 2013

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a "cool older girl in high school"- not in a creepy way but to kind of monitor how teenage girls suddenly experiment with how they look and what they wear. There was a moment in Inside Out where Riley transfers to her knew school and mentally takes note of who she should be friends with, singling out the "cool girl" in the room with half black and half blue hair. I always aspired to BE the cool older girl, and when I help out kids in high school I know from work or those who are at the university for work experience I kinda try to give off those vibes but. Yeah it never happened for me. At most I will wear ripped tights underneath a cute skirt or dress but that's as far as I've ever gotten. On the other hand, Louise Alsop totally understands and her designs embody this wild energy with her simple monochromatic and heavily frayed designs. It appears many of the Westminster Graduates were encouraged to reconstruct and subsequently deconstruct their designs for the purpose of *fashion* but none did it quite as well as she did. Plus she created health goth BEFORE IT WAS EVEN A THING!! These clothes are way better than the traditional health goth and minus the Adidas slide sandals.

*Images via Westminster Fashion

Tom Guy 2013

When trawling through the Westminster Graduate archives I discovered the work of Tom Guy. The accompanying zine Guy made for this collection is truly something special, but first I wanted to curate this collection. The three-dimensional flowers and combination of sheer rhinestone decorated bodysuits exist in the same realm as Prabal Gurung 2012 and that dress Beyonce wore to the Met Gala. But the moodboard by way of small handmade publication proves Guy was inspired by something entirely different and is not derivative. In fact this pearly, iridescent wonderland was inspired by Britannica and satirically features the Queen of England and Buckingham Palace embezzled in gemstones rather than another designer. This of course thrilled my inner child, a magpie for all things shiny and plastic. To state the obvious, I loved each and every piece from this collection. I was charmed by that bombastic, flower embellished helmet which opened the show and from then on was smitten. It seems that as a graduate it seems that each designer can more easily achieve cohesion and as a result a bigger impact in terms of aesthetics.

*Images via Westminster Fashion

Charlotte Scott 2015

The graduate who seemed the most distinct at the Westminster Graduate collection in terms of their aesthetic was undoubtedly Charlotte Scott. It was a menswear collection unlike any other with the most whimsical colour palette which became only heightened by side-swept bowl cuts combined with unbelievably adorable casting. The clothes were just so distinct though- but I'm sure one of those people who fight over bragging rights to being the creator of kidcore or babycore or whatever will show us some drawing they did at age three. That's not something I really want to discuss here but strange subcultures asides the shades of red also reminded me of Back to the Future. Specifically I'm talking about Back to the Future 2, but what I'm really getting at is that when people talk about retro-futurism or how people would dress in the future, this collection seems like a game changer. While there's a lot of hype surrounding Jacquemus who has in many ways pioneered this type of design, I would consider his designs clumsy or somewhat ill-fitting compared to these more sleek and stream-lined designs. This could, however, be largely due to a difference in materials.

*Images via Westminster Fashion

Niall Cottrell 2015

Continuing the Westminster themed blog posts we find Niall Cottrell, proudly and somewhat emphatically waving the flag for menswear. What really struck me was how wearable the pieces were from each graduate in particular Cottrell's creations. I clicked on a picture from instagram thinking it was J.W. Anderson for profanity's sake! Mind you this was after a full day at the computer editing photos, as well as mindlessly writing in a zombie-lake state for several hours. I loved both the techniques as well as intensity of colour from this collection, which shrouded each figure in a warrior-like silhouette. What I also found interesting were a couple of one shoulder menswear pieces, something which we would typically associate with dressing the female figure. In many ways it challenged our perceptions of gender but in a way which was largely overt. Or rather it was hidden in plain sight amongst a sea of colour.

*Photos via Westminster Fashion

Chloe McDonald 2015

I've long maintained that graduate collections are among the most interesting and innovative but it seems the next generation from Westminster are proving that they are ready for commercial success as well. I was instantly reminded of Japanese designers such as Comme Des Garcons as well as the artistic flair of Claire Barrow. It also marked a badass transition from the typical winged eyeliner which every 20-something year old was obsessed with. Aside from the biker jackets, spontaneous use of tinsel and metallic threads I loved the thick strapped sandals. They reminded me so much of Agyness Deyn's collaboration for Dr Martens released a few years ago which simply reinforces this idea of the London fashion scene being a tight knit community. Obviously the shoes were the icing on some kind of extended metaphor about a cake because the biker jackets were without a doubt the centre of attention. Although it seems that each look is simply derivative of a single idea, if you look closely each jacket was made from a different designs. I did a little sewing as a sophomore in high school but I can only imagine how difficult it would be to work with leather. That's part of the reason why McDonald is seriously deserving of praise and accolades.

*Photos via WestminsterFashion