The Fashion Students at Central Saint Martins in London Might Be the Best Dressed in the World
The Fashion Students at Central Saint Martins in London Might Be the Best Dressed in the World
It’s not uncommon for fashion zealots to hover outside the doors of Central Saint Martins’s King’s Cross campus in London to try to catch a glimpse of the industry’s future design stars—or, more specifically, what those future design stars are wearing. From homespun creations to obscure vintage finds, the students’ personal style is often on par with their exemplary output. So, when an ordinary afternoon lecture warrants an excuse to dress up and test the parameters of style, you can only imagine what a superlative occasion, such as the school’s seasonal MA Fashion show, might offer.
This week, in a move away from the traditional presentation format, the MA graduates displayed their final collections on models who sauntered around Soho’s infamous Welsh Chapel, which designer Simon Vincenzi had transformed into a nightclub with all the trappings. The space itself holds a special connection to the school, having formerly traded as the flamboyant 1980s nightclub Limelight, which was frequented by mercurial fashion icons such as Leigh Bowery, Steve Strange, and Boy George—all of whom championed the art of self-expression through dress.
As for the class of 2018? “You have to throw it all on and go for it, honey!” enthused Harry Freedman backstage in a hot pink mohair top that’s slashed to the nipple. “We’ve created our own bubble at Central Saint Martins. Space creates fashion and fashion reinforces the space,” he added, touching his Monroe-style beauty mark. “I’ve always worn menswear,” intercepted Moon Hussain in a broad-shouldered blazer. “I think when women design menswear, they over-sexualize it, so my goal is to put traditional menswear on a woman and see what happens,” she said, tugging at her jacket. “This is one of my own.”
Fashion and textiles graduate Sinead Cloonan also stressed the importance of wearing what she designs. “I create clothes from the things I see around me, from these funny feather trousers to my hat, which I covered with seashells. Life is a celebration, you know.”
