The MA Fashion cohort at Central Saint Martins is responsible for producing a whole host of revered designers. From Kiko Kostadinov, and Simone Rocha, to Christopher Kane – and more – the MA Fashion alumni are unmatched. Having dreamed up their collections for months on end, Course Director Fabio Piras and a myriad of tutors, technicians, and academics have helped guide them towards their creations.

There’s no doubt that CSM’s MA Fashion course puts students on the map – and one of the catalysts is the hotly-coveted L’Oréal Professionel prize. A scholarship awarded to three stellar students a year, this year’s winner is Yaku Stapleton. Judged by Ib Kamara, who’s an editor-in-chief, and also the image director of OFF WHITE – real high fliers stepped up to the plate.Yaku’s collection centres on his past, making links between fantasy, perception, and family history, and how these can all intersect – titled “The Impossible Family Reunion in RPG Space: research into the Afro-Futurism movement”.

Canada Goose was also down for the cause, offering a HUMANATURE award for responsible, sustainable design. Two designers, Chié Kaya and Alessandro Tondolo, took the crown. Kaya’s collection “Heirloom” reinterprets the modern woman’s wardrobe by means of deconstruction; Tondolo’s “Cohaeresco” was built on notions of dissonance between humans and nature.

Innovation and strong contextual research are clearly at the heart of the students’ practice, in turn progressing the fashion world into a brighter and better future. Central Saint Martin’s MA Fashion students are no doubt at the helm.