From voluminous fabrics, to textured deconstruction – their styles are dramatically different, but their alma mater is the same – UAL. Here are just a few of UAL alumni showing at LFW:
Emma R Hill CBE: Wimbledon College of Art, 1989
UAL Honorary Fellow (2014) Emma Hill became an accessory designer at Burberry until 1994, when she left to later work at Liz Claiborne and Calvin Klein before joining Marc Jacobs in 1999. She created the famed Stella bag, playing a big part in Jacobs winning accessories designer of the year in 2003. She’s consulted for Chloe, Temperley and Reiss. In 2007, Emma joined Mulberry as Creative Director and was credited with turning the Somerset-based firm into an international fashion powerhouse. The brand has a number of celebrity fans, including the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Moss, Alexa Chung and even Number 10 – which gave the leaders of the G8 group personalised Mulberry bags when it hosted a summit in June 2012. Her designs have won her a string of awards, including Best Accessories Designer at the 2011 Elle Style Awards, and Best Accessories Designer at the 2013 Glamour Awards as well as helping Mulberry to the honour of Best Designer Brand at the 2010 British Fashion Awards. In November 2012, Emma was awarded the CBE for services to British Fashion.
Charlotte Dellal: London College of Fashion, 2004
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Dellal’s Charlotte Olympia brand won the Accessory Designer award at the British Fashion Awards 2011. Her designs are worn by the likes of celebrities such as, Alexa Chung, Samatha Cameron, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker, Anne Hathaway, Emma Watson, Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, Heidi Klum, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Katy Perry.
Bora Aksu: Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design
Since graduating he has won the Topshop New Generation sponsorship four times in a row, attracting a cult following. He debuted at London Fashion Week in February 2003 and he was named ‘one of the top five shows’ by The Guardian. He has also created costumes for Tori Amos, while dressing Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller for film junkets and collaborating with the Dali Institute and Design Museum. In 2012 Bora Aksu was asked to join the judging panel of the WGSN Global Fashion Awards and he also won Designer of the Year at the Elle Style Awards.
Christopher Kane: Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, 2006
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Kane’s BA collection won him a Swarovski sponsorship and admiration from Roberto Cavalli and John Galliano. Kane has won awards for his illustrations from Lancome, made dresses for Kylie’s world tour and won the Harrods Award for Design Innovation at London Fashion Week in 2006. In 2007, he was awarded New Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. He presented his sixth collection in February 2009 and the following month showcased a capsule collection of accessories, produced in collaboration with Versace, for the label’s younger ‘Versus’ line. In 2011 Kane won the first Vogue Fashion Fund prize of £200,000.
Antonio Berardi: Central Saint Martins, 1994
Not only was his graduate collection bought by Liberty, but he went on to design for John Galliano, Manolo Blahnik and Anya Hindmarch. He launched his own label in 1995, and his big break came with a show at the Brixton Academy in 1997.
Mr Gareth Pugh: Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, 2003
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His trademark is his experimentation with form and volume, distorting the human body using unconventional materials such as inflatable PVC, Perspex and foam. He made his solo debut at London Fashion Week in 2006 and showed at Paris for the first time in 2008. He has collaborated with NY designer Rick Owens, worked with renowned photographer Nick Knight, and subsequently with Knight’s former assistant Ruth Hogben. Together they have championed fashion film as a medium – substituting his Paris shows in A/W 2009 and S/S 2011 with moving images.
Emilia Wickstead: Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, 2007
Wickstead founded her eponymous bespoke clothing line in 2008. She has worked in the design studios at Giorgio Armani, Narciso Rodriguez and Proenza Schouler and at American Vogue. Her designs are favoured by Samanta Cameron – notably worn to vote, and when she met the Queen – as well as the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.
Henry S Holland: London College of Communication, 2004
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Founder of young designer label House of Holland. Prior to the launch of his own company in 2008, Holland gained attention with his Fashion Groupies T-shirt designs that generated a cult following. In Autumn 2008 and Spring 2010, Holland co-presented T4’s flagship fashion and music series, Frock Me, alongside Alexa Chung and Gemma Cairney. In 2012 Holland starred as a judge on fashion design show Styled to Rock airing on Sky Living. In February 2009, singer and CSM alumna M.I.A. wore his black-and-white, polka dot tulle mini-design while heavily pregnant at the 51st Grammy Awards. In 2014, to mark Magnum’s 25th birthday, Holland created a bespoke 60s inspired dress complete with mimicked cracked chocolate made from layers of fabric and sequins.
Jasper A T Conran OBE Visiting Professor at LCF in Fashion Design, fashion, costume and interior designer
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Conran is the son of Central School alumnus Sir Terence Conran and brother of CSM alumnus Sebastian Conran. In the 1980s, he won the coveted British Fashion Council Designer of the Year Award and was one of Princess Diana’s favourite designers. He is a patron of the Work-Life Balance Trust, a Trustee of the Wallace Collection and a Trustee of the Architecture Foundation.
David Koma: Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, 2009
The Georgian born, London based fashion designer has produced designs for the likes of Beyoncé, Kylie, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Alicia Keys. Koma won The Harrods Design Award for his graduation collection and is also the the recepient of the British Fashion Council’s New Gen Initiative.
Mary M Katrantzou: Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, 2008
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Mary’s collection was nominated for the Harrods and the L’Oreal Professional Award at the CSM graduating show. A capsule collection for Topshop was launched at London Fashion Week AW2010, quickly becominh Topshop’s fastest selling collaboration to date. Katrantzou’s work has been featured in publications including Vogue, Dazed & Confused, and Grazia. She won the Swiss Textiles award in 2010 and the British Fashion Awards Emerging Talent Award for womenswear in 2011. In February 2012, Mary was awarded Young Designer of the Year at the Elle Style Awards, and was also awarded Designer of the Year at the British Fashion awards 2013. She won the 2015 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund in 2015. Her designs have been worn by the likes of Keira Knightley, Alexa Chung, Claudia Schiffer and fellow designer Henry Holland.
Miss Sophia G Webster: London College of Fashion, 2008
Footwear designer, Sophia Webster debuted her collection for SS13 after working as design assistant to Nicholas Kirkwood. She was awarded the Conde Nast Footwear Emerging Designer of the Year award for 2012 and has been given the prestigious New Gen Award for all of her first three seasons by the British Fashion Council. In 2013 Sophia was awarded the British Fashion Award for Emerging Accessories Designer. She was also awarded the Mayor of London and British Fashion Council’s Fashion Forward prize for AW14 and SS15.
Ms Alice Temperley MBE: Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, 1997
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Fashion designer and Creative Director of Temperley Ltd. Temperley’s designs have become favourites with stars including Eva Mendez, Demi Moore, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sienna Miller and Jennifer Lopez. She dressed Pippa for the evening reception of the Royal wedding.
Mr Huishan Zhang: Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, 2008
During his time studying at CSM , Zhang worked for a year at Dior, including six months in the couture atelier. He founded his own label upon graduation in 2010. Zhang’s work has been featured in publications including Vogue UK, Elle, Harpers Bazaar, The Times and The New York Times. In 2012 his original couture dragon dress was collected by the V&A as a permanent piece, making him the first Chinese contemporary fashion designer to receive this honor. In February 2013, Zhang won the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize of £25k and he is also a previous Deutsche Bank Award winner.