Giant balloons, elves, napkin dresses & more from Westminster’s grad show

Last week saw design students from Central Saint Martins and Royal College of Art present their debut collections during London Fashion Week Men’s – each weirder and wilder than the one before. Yesterday, University of Westminster closed off the week of graduates shows with its second graduating class from its MA Menswear course – previous graduates including Priya Ahluwalia and Fashion East’s Robyn Lynch – presenting their offerings. 

Opening the show and continuing the new trend of inflatable couture, San Kim presented a collection inspired by the sculptural work of contemporary American artist Paul McCarthy. Channelling his interest in Freud’s studies of psychosexual development and contrasting it with playfulness, the deflation of his balloon dresses were a portrayal of Freud’s use of the term ‘Libido’. Morgane Krischer drew inspiration from Henri Matisse, presented a beautifully tailored collection that reflected her intricate craftsmanship in the melding of eveningwear with streetwear silhouettes. 

Elsewhere, former Simone Rocha intern, Curtis Wu, paired his love for decadence with an exploration into possibilities in menswear, creating a collection with floral print swimsuits and embroidered dresses. James Reeves showed other ways fashion can be sustainable by utilising and reworking discarded fabric swatches fashion waste into colourful garments with distinctive, collage-style patchwork. Finally, Amelie Marie Gaydoul’s collection celebrated the communal sentiment of joining together for a meal. Drawing inspiration from the century-old napkins and tablecloths found in her grandmother’s restaurant, Gaydoul created a series of looks accessorised with kitchen aprons.

See all the backstage shots from the show in the gallery above.