UWE Fashion Textiles graduates: class of 2018

There is nothing fresher in the fashion world than a graduate fashion show. This is the one big chance a fashion designer gets to go all-out and be as creative and outrageous as they can before they fall into the void of functionality and every day clothing that is the reality of a well-paid job in the fashion industry.

The UWE Fashion Textiles course has a good reputation for fashion graduates with some going on to high profile careers with the likes of Victoria Beckham, All Saints and Matthew Williamson to name a few. With 86 per cent of UWE graduates landing an industry job or continuing with their education within six months of graduating, the stats are high and the opportunities really are there if you want them.

Each year sees a new set of fantastic fashion graduates showcasing their talents at their final shows, in the hope of getting snapped up as fashion’s ‘next big thing’. This year was no different as the class of 2018’s fashion students presented their final collections at the Bower Ashton Studios at their City Campus.

UWE Fashion Textile graduates’ final collections featuring work by Rosie Evans and Caitlin Vaughan (also main image). Photography by UWE Fashion Communications student Ellie Oxley

“The presentation was a fantastic celebration of all the excellent work that students have created,” says Deb Southerland, programme leader for the UWE Fashion Textiles degree course. “There are some really interesting students this year and we saw playful work from Jess Warner, whose anti-fashion textile creations were really edgy, sustainable fashion from womenswear designer Caitlin Vaughan and great menswear creations by Emilia Jones”.

The collections range from oversized unisex streetwear to contoured sportswear, androgynous tailoring, Eastern-influenced garments and knitwear. Many designers included fabric manipulation, hand-embellished fabrics and hand-printed techniques to give their collections the personal and bespoke edge needed to get noticed in this cut-throat industry.

Sustainable and upcycled collections alongside oversized layering were both big contenders for the top trends at this year’s show.

Sustainable fashion collection and artwork by UWE graduate Jess Warner

Jess Warner is a self-confessed anti-fashion designer, who mixes embroidery and print techniques with deconstructed and upcycled fabrics in her sustainable work. She brings a darker side to an original and frankly adorable theme.

“Beatrix Potter was the core of inspiration for my final collection,” says Jess. “I tried to modernise, deconstruct and subvert her style of work by juxtaposing it with The Grimm Brother’s darker side of a childhood”.

Jess used hand embroidery and digital printing techniques combining new and upcycled fabrics to create her final collection

“With an aim to develop an innovative textile collection I created these themes through subtly adding old taboo words found in A Dictionary of Obscenity, Taboo and Euphemism, such as ‘Tom Tit’ meaning ‘shit’, as well as mixing hand-rendered techniques such as hand-embroidery and digital painting. I combined new fabrics to express the happy, joyful side of the childhood and upcycled fabrics used to express the unhappy, worn and distressed side.”

Caitlin Vaughan’s final collection was inspired by rural working women of the 18th and 19th century. Photography by Ellie Oxley

Caitlin Vaughan’s sustainable womenswear collection has a contemporary streetwear feel mixed with utilitarian tops and amazing oversized trousers which conjure up moments of Vivienne Westwood’s Pirate collection, creating a very wearable aesthetic with a hidden agenda.

The collection aims to empower women by providing lots of personal space within their clothing. Photography by Ellie Oxley

“My final collection was inspired by rural working women of the 18th and 19th century, primarily fishwives,” says Caitlin. “Once I began my research I noticed that women’s clothing had, and continues to have, a serious lack of pockets.

I became inspired by women’s inventiveness to create them out of layered skirts, cloth and the use of baskets and in a more contemporary sense, bags and purses. For many women, in many countries, pockets and bags are the only private space a woman has. The collection aims to empower women by providing lots of personal space within their clothing.”

Emilia Jones’ House Wife House Life collection was inspired by gender roles and Victorian dress. Photography collaboration with UWE Fashion Communications graduate Isabel Woodrow-Young

Emilia Jones has gone all-out when it comes to getting creative and avoiding functionality in her final collection. This unusual and inspiring menswear collection mixes futuristic plastics with upcycled towels, cleaning clothes, thin cottons and bright colours, all mixed together in a housewife-chic mass of streetwear layering.

“I was inspired by gender roles and Victorian dress and how, through history, society has expected more of women,” explains Emilia. “Not to mention a trip to the shop, down the cleaning isle!”.

Emilia’s unique concept of using cleaning materials, from mops to tea towels, creates a subversive menswear collection

“After looking at many 1960s advertisements I came up with my collection ‘Housewife House Life’,” Emilia continues. “Based on the typical housewife look, I subverted it into menswear, but it’s also about how a mother’s work is always overlooked and under-appreciated as she works more for less.”

Rosie Evan’s fantasy collection mixes traditional Welsh costume with 90’s raver style

Rosie Evans‘ subtle toned collection mixes peasant-style smocking with streetwear layering to create a modern folklore story with a twist. Inspiration came from the politics behind the 90’s UK rave culture mashed up with her own Welsh heritage, its national costume and the poetry of Dylan Thomas.

Rosie was inspired by the poetry of Dylan Thomas and the 90’s film Human Traffic for her collection

“The collection has a fantasy-like narrative, of Welsh women from the past attending a rave in their under dresses and cutting and slashing their historical costumes to fit the community of ravers,” Rosie explains. “There was a strong sense of the historic fashion context but to update the collection and move away from costume, I lifted the silhouettes and fastenings from rave fashion. The idea of underwear as outerwear also came from the descriptive texts of intimate clothing in the Dylan Thomas poem The Dress”.

Following their graduate collections, many the students leave their university town to continue their fashion careers in major fashion cities but many UWE students are keen to stay on in Bristol. What is it about Bristol that keeps graduates here and who has inspired them on their fashion journey?

“I love how quirky and fun Bristol styles can be,” says Caitlin. “I particularly like Duvet Days clothing. I love what they are doing to make sustainable fashion more available and fun. I feel like my work fits in well with the Bristol style aesthetic and look forward to continuing my work here. My next step is to start my own label in Bristol in the next two years. Meanwhile, I’m working for Collection and Co, which is a vegan footwear brand based in Bristol, and I’m working part-time at Thrift on Park Street too.”

“I really enjoy Bristol and Bristol fashion,” adds Jess. “There are so many different people and styles: even in my own friendship groups we all dress so differently. I think moving to Bristol definitely helped me fully find my own style.”

For any students considering attending the BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles course at UWE in the future what can they expect? “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” says Emilia. “I feel like the course has prepared me for the industry and my career that lies ahead. Everyone is friendly and wants you to succeed there. I’ve learnt so much in three years and have grown massively.”

Programme Leader Deb Sutherland adds: “The standard has been excellent this year and we hope that the students can pursue their ambitions across the whole of the fashion textiles industries.”

Find out more information on studying Fashion Textiles at UWE by visiting www.courses.uwe.ac.uk/W23A/fashion-textiles

Read our Fashion Editor Emma’s blog No Debutante