If anyone was looking for the future of the industry at Graduate Fashion Week this year, all roads led straight to the Truman Brewery’s runway. The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) Epsom cohort didn't just showcase collections; they delivered an absolute masterclass in technical ambition, polished execution, and heavy-hitting, uncompromising concepts.
UCA’s presence felt less like a student showcase and more like a high-octane takeover. Backed by an astonishing 19 award nominations across the board, the Epsom designers, stylists, and atelier graduates proved they aren’t just participating in the current fashion landscape—they are actively rewriting its rules.
What set the UCA showcase apart wasn’t merely the physical garments cutting through the runway glare—it was the uncompromising world-building wrapped around them. This wasn’t just a fashion show; it was a series of fully realized creative universes. Fueled by student-led styling, raw photography, and razor-sharp creative direction, the styling felt immediately primed for a high-fashion editorial spread. Designers like Alana Sweet (who landed a well-deserved shortlist spot for the F&F Design competition) struck that rare, golden balance: slick commercial viability without sacrificing a single drop of raw, creative identity.
UCA is clearly moving past the traditional boundaries of fashion education. They aren’t just teaching students how to drape and stitch; they are forging complete, industry-ready brand architects. By anchoring this boundary-pushing creativity with an obsessive focus on technical precision, pattern cutting, and rigorous atelier tailoring, UCA’s 2026 cohort brought a distinctly elevated, premium gravity to the runway that was impossible to ignore.
Gracie Truscott: GFW 2026 runway collection for the University for the Creative Arts was a triumph of material innovation, rightfully securing her the prestigious GFW26 Constructed Textiles Award. The BA (Hons) Fashion Design graduate made the fabric the core of her narrative, showcasing a brilliant command of complex structural techniques and organic textures. On the catwalk, her garments displayed extraordinary physical depth, capturing movement and light beautifully. By seamlessly fusing intricate, hand-crafted textile fabrication with bold contemporary silhouettes, Truscott delivered an artistic and technical tour de force, marking her as one of the most exciting, innovative new designers to emerge from her cohort.
Saskia Knapp: Knapp delivered a collection defined by sophisticated structure and an acute eye for silhouette. Her signature garments displayed an impressive maturity in fabric manipulation, utilizing tactile depth and precise tailoring that commanded attention under the catwalk lights. By merging striking, architectural shapes with wearable fluidity, Knapp’s debut was both a visual triumph and a clear statement of intent, marking her as an exciting, highly versatile new voice in contemporary fashion.
Luci Bowles; Luci Bowles shook up the runway with a collection that masterfully balanced avant-garde edge and streetwear sensibilities. Defined by bold texturing and unexpected, graphic proportions, her work subverted traditional shapes into a striking modern statement. Every piece carried a raw, editorial grit that locked perfectly into the showcase’s progressive energy, establishing Bowles as an uncompromising, boundary-pushing designer to watch as she sets out to redefine contemporary street style.
Fidelma O' Riordan: O’Riordan took the UCA Epsom catwalk by storm at Graduate Fashion Week 2026, delivering a masterclass in raw, next-gen design. Shunning the predictable, her collection weaponised technical precision against fluid, rebellious silhouettes. It was a visceral display of visual storytelling—unapologetic, structurally ambitious, and dripping with attitude. O’Riordan didn't just showcase garments; she demanded attention, cementing her status as one of the most exciting new disruptors to watch.
