Wonderland.

MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SHOW

Take a look at the industry’s top picks from Middlesex University’s graduate collections.

In a hall within the Royal National Hotel that evoked surrealist scenes not dissimilar those from The Shining, Middlesex University showed their graduate collections. Under a chandelier, models marched to the beat of EDM remixes of all your favourite throwback tunes to the rapturous applause of an industry audience.

It’s graduate show season, with Graduate Fashion Week concluding this week. With so much praise and coverage for colleges nationwide, long gone are the days when the industry only looks to fashion school heavyweights CSM and LCF for the future of design and the Middlesex cohort is second to none.

19 students showed the culmination of their university career last week, the candidates were shortlisted by an industry panel of judges including: Kim Howells – Fashion Director at Hunger, Matthew Josephs – our very own Fashion Director, Keko Hainswheeler – Middlesex alumni, fashion designer and Creative Consultant at Diesel and Kiko Simōes Gaspar – Marketing & Communications at Vivienne Westwood.

No stone was left unturned as we saw models adorned with ranges of headgear, potted plant accessories, DIY embellishments (check Ellie Green’s keys, imagine trying to get into your front door after a night out). Everything was oversized, layered or embroidered, understated is not a term they teach at Middlesex and we’re glad, long live the outlandish. Our shopping list? Nuno Lopes de Oliveira gold foil running shorts, Ayse Fuat’s enrobing knits and Ursula Catherine Middleboe’s photographic florals.

Revisit the show here and take a glimpse of potential design success stories.

Amy Alexander Eve Hector