DATE: 13th June 2023 PLACE: Truman Brewery TIME: 15,30
On walking into the Collective Show at this years Graduate Fashion Week, I over heard one of the lectures shout to a a college be prepared to be dazzled and he wasn’t wrong. CSVPA showed three designers at this years Graduate Fashion Week 2023 and two of the graduate designers showed (in my opinion) two of the strongest collection at this years event.
Sophie Wheeler: “The Dazzle of Halibut” draws inspiration from Halibut Jackson, a beloved childhood storybook character created by British illustrator David Lucas. Sophie’s hand-tufted fabrics, while initially designed to camouflage into home textiles, slowly evolved to embrace an ironic twist by becoming conspicuous works of art themselves.
“I wanted to create something that was visually appealing and sustainable at the same time. The avoidance of conspicuous consumption of the new stimulated my initial process, which turned to discarded fabrics.”
Charlotte Susan Lamb: My own WW2 family archive was the inspiration, A small token of love, embroidered with a modest poppy and cornflower, an ear of corn, positioned around the words ‘To my Dear Wife’, was the starting point for both my dissertation and final collection ‘A Stitch in – Time – Waits for No Man’. A redundant practice in the face of modern industrial production and historically constructed as a tool of heteronormative monitoring, this piece of cloth has resonance today, as fashion questions our understanding of gender and also the speed of the world around us
My final collection questions of the aesthetics of menswear, and craft ability to capturing of time. The fabrics all salvaged from duvet covers, pillowcases and curtains, take inspiration from the soldiers’ ingenuity, and challenge the extractive and depleting consequences of fast fashion. These materials, that have already had a life in a home, are reimagined through the slow application of needle work. While the intricate construction folds a moment of masculinity from the past into the present.
The remarkable achievements of CSVPA students at this year’s Graduate Fashion Week , showed with students Charlotte Susan Lamb & Sophie Wheeler clinching an incredible total of five awards at GFW, with four impressive winners in the highly esteemed Vivienne (Westwood) Foundation Competition!
Sophie Wheeler
Sophie Wheeler
“The Dazzle of Halibut” focusses on sustainability from old garments. Sophie’s collection stands out for its unwavering commitment to sustainability, innovative design, and a unique explosion of colours. Sophie’s meticulously handcrafted her collection using a blend of natural and recycled domestic textiles. Her use of waste avocado stones, sourced from a local sushi restaurant, to dye her fabrics. These sustainable materials form the linings of her designs, creating a beautiful fusion of eco-consciousness and artistry.
Lydia Gao
Lydia Gao
Lydia Gao
Charlotte Susan Lamb
Charlotte Susan Lamb
Charlotte Susan Lamb
‘A stitch in time waits for no man’, and is inspired by wartime Britain.
Charlotte said “The concept behind it was from samples sent home from my great grandad in a prisoner-of-war camp in World War II . It’s sort of a play on British heritage in my own way”.
The collection features embroidery which has been painstakingly undertaken for many months, showcasing various English flowers. Repurposing second-hand charity shop fabrics and domestic fabrics, the woolen pieces mixed with embroidery are clearly reminiscent of the 1940’s era.
- Sophie Wheeler: Highly Commended in Zandra Rhodes Textiles
- Charlotte Lamb: Highly Commended in Considered Fashion
- Charlotte Lamb, Sophie Wheeler, Fabia Longjohn, Hannah Blunt: Winners of the Vivienne Foundation Award
- Charlotte Lamb, Lydia Gao: Winners of the Collective Show and selected for the prestigious Best of Show Gala, beating over 400 collections.
