Surviving your fashion MA without going through a last minute, runway-induced breakdown is always worth celebrating, but extra congratulations are due for two Central Saint Martins grads this week. Matty Bovan and Beth Postle both showed their graduate collections at London Fashion Week and were jointly awarded the £5,000 L'Oréal Professionnel Creative Award, which is given out to the best and brightest CSM designer in show.
Postle sent out models in PVC smocks with splashes of comic book-bright colour, paired with peekabo cut-out panels and fishnet. "It's just a shock really, we had no idea we had won it," she told us. "There are so many amazing people in that year I felt really privileged. And also to except the award next to my longtime friend Matty Bovan felt great."
She added: "I will spend the money on paying off debts, my portolio and also treating my helpers to a really nice meal to say thank you. The MA being over is sad, but I'm also excited – I've been at CSM for six and a half years, and I think it's about time I left."
Knitwear graduate Matty Bovan aimed for high with 12 looks, saying: "It’s like 12 times that things could go wrong." His ambition paid off with a hysterically vivid collection of ripped knitwear, unravelling yarn and textural experimentation.
He told us that him and Postle only found out about the award 30 seconds before their respective shows started. "I was so stressed in the run-up to the show i never had chance to think about it!" he said. "I'm really pleased with how the collection looked, I'm super thrilled with how the girls looked in all the pieces. So I guess I feel relieved and still a bit in shock it's over so fast, but most of all super happy!"
Check out our full review of the Central Saint Martins MA show here. Bovan and Postle join an elite roster of past awardwinners, including Ashish, Jonathan Saunders and Mary Katrantzou. Congrats, Matty and Beth! If you see them out this weekend, buy them a drink – they deserve it.
