Day one round-up

Graduate Fashion Week Day One June 8 2008

Selene Pearson reports from Earl's Court.

At Graduate Fashion Week, it isn’t just the clothes that go on show – we get a unique insight into the entire creative process. Countless portfolios line the university stands charting the student’s work from concept to creation; filled with illustrations, swatches and fashion inspiration.

Edinburgh College of Art student Sally Hansen comes next in the chain. Once the students send their work down the catwalk she turns them back into illustrations, live. With a box full of coloured pens and 2B pencil at the ready she sketches at a phenomenal speed, putting note-taking journalists to shame.

Renegade illustrator Sophie Stephens manned her stand with freebie posters for all stating 'style makes me sick'. Her message (which we're inclined to agree with) is to challenge what we think is fashionable and stop putting 'icons' up on a pedestal. In fact, the UCCA Epsom student protested so much to the Kate Moss for Topshop media circus that she took it upon herself to flyer a Topshop changing room everyday for a week with an illustration stating ‘no more heroes’.

Despite the many distractions we did manage to take in some truly great fashion: both on the catwalk and off. Maria Manfredi showed an inspired collection of striped silk dresses that should only be paired with a bucket and spade – true British seaside attire. She opened the University of Central Lancashire show with a pumping soundtrack of Sex Pistols’ ‘God Save The Queen’ – her models strewn with bunting in patriotic red, blue and white.

Heading to the The Arts Institute at Bournemouth /Northbrook College Sussex, show we collided with super stylist Richard Shoyemi clad in one of his usual rainbow-like concoctions. It was a hard task to tear our eyes away from his red sequined leggings but that we did. (see day one's Style File)

It was 'Yodeler in the City' with Camilla Sutton’s collection of Heidi-like pinafore dresses and floral embroidered capelets. Ilya Magger borrowed from her background with nomadic chic inspired by the Sámi people; indigenous to Sapmi, an area that covers Sweden Norway and Finland. Authentic reindeer leather belts engraved with a reindeer motif were a highlight. Drawing on culture from even further a field, Andrew McCormack fused African prints with tartan in his ‘Celtic Masai’ collection; a felt tartan bomber jacket is brought to life by an Ethiopian print border.

De Montfort University focused on the future with a cacophony of graphic prints. Kayleigh Flattery's series of series of grizzly bear printed garments made the front row smile and Jennifer Jarvis’ Tetris motif that brought back childhood memories of hours spent with the endless electronic puzzle.