“I found it refreshing to see that many designers had a coherent, clearly defined narrative,” reports Mandi Lennard of London College of Fashion’s MA graduates (Fashion Design Technology Womenswear).
Part of an all-star (read: sartorially positioned) line-up tapped to select the college’s ten most catwalk ready designers in the making, the Mandi’s Basement founder continues: “I got really excited to see their work as my mind was already thinking about the final show, and how ahead of the game they were in forming their concepts.”
A follow up to last month’s menswear show – and the penultimate talent display of LCF’s MA16 calendar, which continues tomorrow with the static exhibition at Victoria House (free to the public and open till Saturday, fyi like) – Clash invites you to sample a special preview of the collections, above, ahead of this week’s event.
Elsewhere on the panel Lennard was joined by Machine-A founder Stravos Karelis, editor Natalie Rigg, ASOS’s Head of Fashion Zeba Lowe, WWD’s Lorelei Marfil and Head of College Professor Frances Corner, while the designers selected to show include Pelin Isildak, Lauren Lake, Yiru Sui, Alexandru Tunsu, Zhixian Wang, Ning Xu, Ywaen Qian, Kirim Yun, Desiree Slabik and Ysabel Lee.
Styled by Anders Sølvsten Thomsen – with Claire Mulleady and Lou Teasdale on make-up and hair, backed by MAC Pro and Bleach respectively – the show is set to be streamed live on Thursday evening here.
Mandi’s particular highlights? “So many!” she urges. “I found Alexandru Tunsu’s fabrication and textile ideas really exciting. Kirim Yun showed a bold aesthetic, which was candy-coated in pastel pink, and I wanted to grab the red coat off the model’s back from Xhxian Wang’s collection and run!”
“But I do the rest a disservice in saying so,” she clarifies, “the year is really strong and I feel for the ones who didn’t even make the final show, as I know they are going to be very successful regardless, and it’s a testament to the college, that so many stood out.”
Photography: Felix Cooper
Creative Direction: Anders Sølvsten Thomsen
Casting: Madeleine Ostlie
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