With the high level of organisation behind Graduate Fashion Week, more and more opportunities are being presented to fashion graduates in the UK to get their work out there faster and their name stamped into the industry. I spoke of Selfridges graduate pop-up shop which will be up from 1st-7th October and Nina & Lola’s online grad shop.
We talk of the ‘next new thing’ constantly and it is rare that immediately post-graduation, designers get retail backing straight away. They’ll toil away for a few years, maybe start their own label, present their collection and buyers may or may not come their way immediately. Two See, in Covent Garden have the foresight to see the potential within fresh grads and will be stocking David Bradley and Karin Gardkvist’ graduate collections. It does help though that both Middlesex-grad designers have faint reminders of London fashion heavyweights.
David Bradley’s printed collection was beautiful at the show but positively STUNS in these pictures. His faint reminder is of course London’s printmaster Jonathan Saunders. Now that Saunders has edged away from print to colour blocking, Bradley could be the perfect new gen print designer to watch out for. He also already has the added ‘eye’ for colour composition that works so effectively in these geometric patterns and ombre-shaded pieces, as well as an appreciation for the balance of fitted and loose forms. The patterns remind me of the doodles that I used to do on graph paper with my coloured gel pens at school, except 100 times more advanced and skilled in structure and arrangement.
Me thinks Karin Gardvist won’t mind having carrying the tag ‘the next Preen’ as she works/worked as an assistant studio manager for Preen. Her graduate collection also shows some Preen-esque traits, whilst maybe being a touch sexier. Gardvist’s dresses heavily lean towards the body-con whilst having quite deceptively simple cuts. I’m really loving the off-shoulder straps that a few years ago would have got me thinking ’90’s sexpot’ but now look fresh again, as the fashion cycle dictates.
I’ll be popping in to get my eyeful and maybe even a taste for Two See’s latest acquisitions by trying something on… question is, how do graduates price their garments seeing as they are selling their skills/design and not their name….
Those David Bradley prints are breathtaking!
Those prints are amazing.