Portraits: Phil Dunlop Makeup: Poppy France
To mark the end of Willie Walters’ 24-year tenure at the helm of Central Saint Martins, we asked the professor her to share her most memorable graduate looks from the last quarter of a century. Hand-picked by the famed fashion professor herself, scroll through the exclusive archive below to view the 12 alumni that earned their top marks.
Hussein Chalayan
For most students, the pressure of final exams coupled with the anxiety of graduation life can make post-collegiate life feel like a fate worse than death. Taking this sentiment and channelling it into his graduate collection, in 1993 Hussein Chalayan presented designs that had been buried underground as an homage to death and resurrection. The creative hasn’t slowed down since, with accolades and recognition from the BFA twice (winning the coveted Designer of the Year award in 1999 and 2000) and, more recently, the Fashion Visionary Award during Singapore’s Audi Fashion Festival.
Tristan Webber
Yet another example of the exemplary vision exhibited by CSM’s student body, Tristan Webber’s final presentation is one that still holds relevance today. The perforated trousers and red leather coat could easily be mistaken for one of this season’s runway favourites. In addition to establishing his own brand, Webber has followed in Walters’ footsteps with an academic career of his own at London’s Royal College of Art.
Peter Cash
Though Peter Cash was all the rage during his last year at university, the fashion designer has all but vanished in recent years. A quick Google search offers no sign of the creative, but when asked about his whereabouts CSM did offer some insight. “We do know that Cash went on to work for Dries Van Noten for many years after graduating, his current status is unknown to us.” Where are you, Peter?
Edward Meadham
When Edward Meadham left CSM in 2002, the fashion designer didn’t allow himself to rest on any laurels. Instead, he continued to create using all of the courage and rebellion famously instructed upon by Walters. Partnering with fellow CSM classmate Benjamin Kirchhoff to create the label Meadham Kirchhoff, the two creatives released spectacularly riotous designs that paid tribute to Leigh Bowery. Unfortunately, the brand is no more, but earlier this year Meadham was found presenting Beetlejuice-inspired designs for Sophia Webster at London Fashion Week.
Gareth Pugh
Famous for his sculptural approach to design, Gareth Pugh became a fashion favourite among industry tastemakers for his ability to distort the human body’s dimensions into fantastical works of art. Earlier this year, the designer revealed a collection inspired by Hannibal Lector, sending models onto the runway dressed in the film’s infamous cannibal-proof masks.
David Komakhidze
King of the bodycon dress, David Komakhidze transforms the sexy silhouette into a high-fashion ensemble with the addition of voluminous and textural embellishments. Working under his eponymous label, the Georgia-born designer’s work was heavily featured in Beyonce’s Mrs. Carter tour. With Bey’s stamp of approval, what more does a fashion designer need?
Craig Lawrence
Inspired by the sleepy seaside towns along Britain’s coast, Craig Lawrence creates chunky knits that follow a “more is more” aesthetic. Celebrity fans include Lady Gaga, Bjork, and Skin who had the designer create custom pieces for her tour with British alt-rock group Skunk Anansie.
Molly Goddard
With a colourful approach to design, Molly Goddard creates pieces based on the themes of nostalgia with a “Sunday best” aesthetic. The resulting collections are an extravagant combination of delicate tulle and boiled wool that serve as a grown-up tribute to your old high school prom dress. Fashion’s biggest stores have taken note, with London’s Dover Street Market commissioning the creative to build an installation in 2015.
James Buck
When James Buck graduated with his BA in Fashion, the young designer decided it wasn’t time to leave CSM quite yet. He followed up with a MA from the beloved school, and gained attention for his final presentation which featured many plastic phalluses. At this year’s Fashion East presentation, Buck revealed Rottingdean Bazaar, a new label co-founded with Luke Brooks featuring crisp white ensembles adorned with colourful badge-like emblems.
Grace Wales Bonner
After victoriously winning this year’s LVMH prize, Grace Wales Bonner has quickly become the menswear designer on everyone’s lips. Borrowing style elements most frequently found in traditional African design, she pairs them with contemporary silhouettes and tailoring for a finished look that is truly her own. We’re smitten with Bonner’s unique interpretation on men’s fashion, which earned the designer a spot on our recent feature of menswear’s best talents.
Wataru Tominaga
After graduating from CSM in 2015, Wataru Tominaga relocated from London to the alt-fashion capital of Berlin in a move that left the fashion industry puzzled. His menswear designs fit in well with the city’s eccentricities though, with each collection shown in the German capital displaying a melee of print and colour. Tominaga was awarded with this year’s Première Vision Grand Prize at the Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography in France, thus dispelling the myth that young designers ought to show in London if they hope to receive worldwide notoriety.
Soyoung Park
Though she’s still fresh out of university, Soyoung Park isn’t wasting any time. The womenswear designer has already won this year’s L’Oréal Professionnel Young Talent Award, with the decision made by a panel of judges that include previously mentioned CSM student Grace Wales Bonner. This support from past CSM grads for their younger peers is a testament to the community atmosphere built by Walters, a one-of-a-kind professor that will truly be missed.
Portraits by Phil Dunlop
Makeup by Poppy France
Archive pics courtesy of Central Saint Martins
With thanks to Melanie Ashley and Hywel Davies at CSM
Read Osman Ahmed’s full feature on Willie Walters for SLEEK 51 here