An enthusiastic crowd filled the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane on Thursday 10 May, lining the catwalk of Regent’s University London’s final year fashion show.
The Fashion Building 2018 event featured work from students graduating across three programmes from Regent’s School of Creative and Liberal Arts: BA (Hons) Fashion Design, BA (Hons) Fashion Design with Marketing and BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing, in an evening which culminated in the spectacular fashion show.
Throughout their time at Regent’s, graduates of the BA (Hons) design programme learned how to express their personal philosophy of fashion through the development of creative and innovative ideas.
Their final designs stemmed from personal research, experimentation, understanding of the textiles and garment construction. The outcomes embody the talent and skills of the designers and their signature style.
Describing the inspiration for her collection, A Proper Woman, Unnati Shah, said; “The sari is the traditional outfit worn by women of India. My collection explores details from the saris such as layering, pleating, gathering and the asymmetrical silhouette”.
Fellow BA (Hons) Fashion Design student, Ilyes Ouali, explained the motivation behind his collection, Frozen Trash: “This collection is a story that takes places in the 80s in a French ski station. The collection illustrates different stages of a rich couple’s life.
“They spend happy times together, but the underlying reality is very different. This is represented by a clash between evening wear and technical ski-wear, alongside the addition of climbing accessories. These refer to the final chapter where they decide to throw themselves from the top of the mountain.”
BA (Hons) Fashion Design with Marketing graduate, Harriet Greenway, highlighted the experience the programme had provided her with, and how she intends to use that to further her career in the fashion industry.
“I decided to study Fashion Marketing because of my experience studying A Level Business and Mathematics, combined with my creative interest in fashion.
“Throughout my degree I have gained experience in modules such as Buying, Branding, CAD, PR and Journalism that have given me a wide range of knowledge, putting me in good stead for a career in fashion. Going forward, I will embark on a buying career.”
Also honoured on the night were the winner and runners up of the Regent’s International Fashion Competition 2017/18, Wearable Architecture. Open internationally to pre-degree students, competition entrants researched and designed an outfit around the theme of architectural materials.
Basak Onbasioglu, of Hisar School, took home a prize from Bloomsbury Publishing for both her and her school, for the work she had produced.
Mark Eley, Head of Programmes for Fashion and Design, summed up a stunning showcase, and reflected on the successes of his students’ work: “Our philosophy is one of fostering individuality, and we are immensely proud of all our graduates, while being highly confident they will continue to grow and thrive within the global fashion industry.
“Many congratulations to the class of 2018!”
