Across the global fashion scene, London is infamous for its expressive and experimental design. A name closely affiliated with which is Central Saint Martins – the birthplace of subversion; the home of new ideas and the institution that worships the weird, the wacky and the wonderful.
This was further firmed at the BA fashion show Class of ‘23 last week, where 134 inspired graduates showcased their final collections, celebrating the end of four testing years before they’re snatched up by ateliers across the world. Expressive and experimental, it was.
The show took place in the vacuous central cavity of CSM’s Kings Cross campus, under the same roof where talent amongst the likes of Kim Jones, Alexander McQueen, Grace Wales Bonner and Charles Jeffrey once walked. Lights shone bright and students of the school crowded the stairwells above, desperate to get a glimpse of what their graduating cohort had been up to, as editors, stylists and fashion VIPs filled out the rows beneath.
A CSM show is never just about clothes. One tends to leave, touched, having witnessed life from tens of perspectives as each collection tells a story of the lived experiences of its designer and their take on issues, personal and global. And – from Joel Line’s vast paper mache faces, Nathan Coles’s wearable string instruments to TJ Finley’s performative distribution of smoked cigarettes over his A-list FROW whom ash clouds lingered above for the show’s duration – no two are the same.
SLEEK meets six of the designers graduating from CSM’s BA Class of ‘23…
BA Womenswear
Made from deadstock fabrics and discarded army blankets, Alonso’s collection utilises material history to reflect on political conflict, human nature, destruction and governance. Her collection, titled ‘Whistleblower’, is inspired by the extensive work of journalist Laura Poitras and its culmination in her exhibition ‘Astro Noise’ in 2016. ‘Astro Noise’ is the name Edward Snowden gave to an encrypted file containing evidence of mass surveillance by the National Security Agency that he shared with Poitras in 2013.
“Using frames of mass surveillance and thermal images captured by drones over the skyline, I’ve created the prints on the collection and reference some of this footage in 3D patterns. The drapes of the garments explore body governance; sometimes free, other times subjugated,” she shares. Across Alonso’s abstract two-pieces, shredded dresses, iridescent overalls and chainmail sheaths, a tension is palpable. “This collection is a declaration of the world state in 2023, where political changes are shifting lives in drastic ways. It’s an analysis of human nature, a reflection and in many ways, a protest.”
BA Menswear
Models donning denim, silk and tartan strutted down the runway, only they weren’t alone. Behind each followed a team who carried with them a roll of material. Whilst each look was expertly finished, it remained attached to the roll from which it was made. His collection, titled ‘On Borrowed Fabric’, is a testament to more sustainable practice in the field, demonstrating that a piece of clothing doesn’t have to be the end of a material’s life but instead the very start. Eden is motivated by the prospect of making clothes which can quite easily be reprocessed into new ones as if the fabric had never passed through his hands. Aside from necessity, Eden tries to preserve the integrity of his fabrics, avoiding any permanent damage by cutting or removing in excess.
“The garments’ construction is limited to only a handful of slits in the fabric, such as a button hole or a T-shirt shaped slit for a collar rather than cutting into and removing fabric as off cuts,” he says. Eden uses trompe l’oeil to “fill the gaps where construction alone is not enough to convince the eye that it’s more than just a fabric roll.’ As his models set to return along the runway, their escort remained behind them, unravelling metres upon metres of untouched fabric revealing each garment’s train. Eden not only took home with him several roles of material for future collections but the L’Oreal Professional Young Talent Award, too.
BA Knitwear
Focusing on the importance of conserving biodiversity, Silvia’s collection, titled ‘Regenerative Folklore’, sits at the nexus of old and new, combining ancient crafts techniques and the futuristic innovation of new fibres and dyes. Working collaboratively with Xue Chen, a CSM MA Biodesigner, the duo used bacteria and invasive plants to hand colour Silvia’s garments yellow, copper and violet hues. “For me, it’s crucial to work with plant-based fibres which are biodegradable,” explains Silvia about her use of nettle and pineapple yarns, sourced from The Nettle Circle and Piñayarn, respectively.
“Water conservation is key for my development, therefore, I use bacteria to dye some of my pieces since it uses ⅙ of the amount of water compared to synthetic dyes.” Using a weaving technique that her grandmother taught her using dried esparto branches – a local resource from Spain, Silvia connects with her ancestors, community and the earth with every stitch. “Through my collection, I aim to inspire a deeper appreciation for the natural world and the importance of preserving our heritage for future generations.”
BA Womenswear
Jackets excessively embellished with chunks of hair and handmade metallic spheres; others with no arm holes – all in clinical shades of blue. Skirts, too. Alba’s collection, titled ‘Selbstreflexion’, is the result of her in-depth exploration of the relationship between a person and their surroundings. “Reversing the roles of stillness of objects and the dynamic states of individuals, questioning to what degree a person becomes a reflection of their space, a quiet object that’s just part of it,” she explains.
Having spent the first term of her final year recovering from a transplant, Alma reports becoming quite familiar with the discomfort of quiet, sterile, blue spaces through which, having closely observed the uniform of her nurses from seam to cut, many of her designs were informed. After she returned to the studio in January, she felt inspired by her classmates and found great value in being surrounded by the creativity and talent that exudes from CSM.
BA Womenswear
From deconstructed and distorted denim structures to accessories woven from wicker, Csókási’s collection, titled ‘Ecce Tenebrae’ which translates from Latin to ‘let there be shadow’, represents a metamorphosis on the road to creating one’s ideal self from a point of struggle or unrealised suffocation. Csókási takes us on a journey from her first look, titled ‘Dark Ilushka’, which represents the primitive and unconscious self that evolves through the archetypes, eventually reaching bliss where one meets the criteria of their own ideal.
“This transition is narrated through the juxtaposition of colour and fabric choices, from dark upcycled and torn leathers into artisanal off-white linens,” she shares. Sustainability is key to Csókási’s practice. Breathing new life into old leather and linen towels sourced from the closets of her great grandparents, Csókási taps into her Hungarian heritage. ‘Ecce Tenebrae’ is inspired by an indulgence in my roots through examining Hungarian folk tales, incorporating artisanal makings and collaborating with Hungarian craftspeople to elevate and preserve the Hungarian culture.”
BA Womenswear
Lace, leather and lingerie, Catherine’s collection was created in homage to Anita Pallenberg, the 60s ‘It’ girl who the designer, enthralled by her coolness, originality and rebellion, considers to be her muse. Catherine’s collection, titled “Catherine’s Uncanny Dissociations’, is based on three profoundly personal dissociation episodes that she has experienced over the years. “Such as the sensation of feeling like a doll in a dolls’ house to floating underwater like a swan on the tube,” she shares. Each look is loaded with emotion and memory, be that humorous or something more sinister.