Four Graduate Designers Redefining Fashion's Lifespan
What happens when a garment’s journey only truly begins as it steps off the catwalk? The latest cohort from the Swedish School of Textiles isn't interested in temporary trends—they're engineering the future of fashion through radical material research and structural longevity.
In this edition of ASBO’s Best in Show, we spotlight four visionary designers chosen from a standout class of twelve. Blending tactile heritage with kinetic performance, their work pushes textiles to move, react, and evolve. From light-diffusing structures to master-class draping, these four creators prove that real style isn't just about making an instant statement—it’s about the living, breathing story a garment carries into the future.
W: Lyon Glass
Iris Phillips’ collection, RE(UNI)FORMED, turns historical military dress into a striking study of posture and silhouette. Blending heritage craftsmanship with unconventional pattern-cutting—like tape construction—Phillips explores fresh ways to sculpt the human form. Wet-moulded leather and tin-cast embellishments collide with steamed hats shaped on traditional hat blocks, creating an unapologetically bold aesthetic. Garments and accessories fluidly morph through integrated footwear, headwear, and optical illusions. Drawing on traditional uniform design principles engineered to elongate the body, the collection reimagines ceremonial attire, using sharp tailoring and theatrical proportions to project power, discipline, and an unmistakable presence.
Maya Naomi’s collection eloquently navigates the delicate tension between expressing belonging and asserting individuality, skillfully mediating between personal identity and cultural heritage. Drawing deeply from her connection to Zambia and the nuanced complexity of her mixed background, her work exists within the fluid space where diasporic communities thrive between cultures.
Zambian traditions are translated into a contemporary fashion vocabulary through authentic local materials—such as hides and leather—and an inventive reinterpretation of traditional fabric knotting. Explored across scale, material, and colour, this technique serves as a modern take on one of Zambia’s oldest adornment forms.
Naomi is inspired by the growing network of diasporic designers carving out space within the dominant Western fashion landscape. Recognizing the vital importance of this representation, she aims to highlight the relevance, influence, and elegance of niche aesthetics that are frequently overlooked. Ultimately, she seeks to establish her own place within this global community and contribute meaningfully to its evolution.
Zhuoran Sun’s collection, A Hole in a Whole, is an innovative form-thinking project in seamless tubular knitwear, derived from the topological model of "a hole in a hole." Using the tube as both material and structure, the work explores how garments develop directly on the body through strategic openings, precise tube placement, and magnetic connections that facilitate modular transformation.
Rather than relying on fixed silhouettes, Sun investigates clothing as dynamic, flexible systems capable of continuous reconfiguration. This approach creates evolving relationships between the body, the garment, and spatial volume. By merging advanced technical knitting with adaptive functionality, the collection reimagines conventional construction, presenting modular knitwear as an interactive, fluid, and customizable framework.
Ebba Carlson Persson’s collection explores light as a core design material, focusing on how LED elements, reflection, and layered structures interact to create shape, surface texture, and visual effects in garments. Spotlights and external light sources are integrated directly into each piece, whilst light-reflecting materials allow both artificial and natural illumination to sculpt the garments’ appearance. Through techniques such as knitting, layering, draping, and tailored garment construction, the project develops bespoke textiles in relation to the light they hold, diffuse, and reflect.