Erika Doy

Erika Doy's graduate collection for Grays School of Art was a vivid shield of scales in a mixture of fabrics which are both reflective and absorptive of light, like giant sequins.

"For this project I have been looking at bio:mimicry which is the study of models, systems and elements of nature for the purpose of solving design problems. I have always been greatly inspired by nature and all its beautiful forms, from giant systems to the tiniest details on a butterfly wing underneath a microscope. I wanted to create a kind of textile that was new in terms of the material used. Part of me always likes to try and use materials in a different way than what they are meant to be used for." Erika Doy

Karen Korjus

Karen Korjus's 'Puzzle Fashion' collection from 'Grays School of Art' made modular style fashion made with multiple laser-cut pieces. Karen had explored multiple designs in a method of textile manipulation that resembles very complex origami.

“Some of the larger pieces are made from around 400 individual pieces, it means that you can build your own piece of clothing and continuously reinvent your wardrobe without having to buy new clothes all the time. It is particularly good for children as it gives them control over their outfits and also helps to teach them about sustainability. In the fashion industry, people are always trying to produce things as fast as they can in large quantities and for low cost. I just feel that it is wrong – it encourages people towards over consumption and creates a lot of waste.” Karen Korjus

Asami Ohara

Nylon fabrics pleated and smocked to create translucent structures form Asami Ohara's graduate collection. This was a collection of textiles and structures that evoked the fashions of ruffs in the mid 16th-17th centuries. However they also reminded me of hair rollers as well as corals and jelly fish.
It is great to see all of Asami's research into different smocking techniques and to see her journey to this intriguing collection that could be easily be adapted into jewelry, costume or fashion.

Nelly Saunier

Nelly Saunier is a plumassier an artisan who crafts with feathers.She was apprenticed in 1981 at the Lycée Octave Feuillet and then finalised her training at Olivier de Serres school in applied arts. Nelly has created numerous works and collaborated with designers, costume designers, decorators and fashion designers.

Kelly McEwen

Kelly McEwen has just graduated from Glasgow school of Art with a collection called 'creatures.'

" 'Creatures' explores using found objects to construct small scale compositions of fictional creatures; giving an identity to otherwise useless objects. These sculptures are carried through colour analysis, drawing and design work, resulting in a completely unique, hand embroidered collection of fabrics intended for fashion or costume use.
Unconventional materials are used throughout, e.g. cork, plastic, copper, sponge and brass. Base fabrics consist of leathers and suedes, providing a luxurious contrast to materials that are used within the embroidery." Kelly McEwen

Kelly's textiles are bristling with spikes and hairs of leather making them very insect like. This collection was awarded The Incorporation of Skinners Prize for Leatherwork 2015.

Abigail Jubb

Tailoring is rational, succinct and considered. a craft controlled by the dimensions and form of the body it clothes. Drape is spontaneous, ruled by instinct and movement. it encompasses the body it possesses amongst swathes and folds, distorting it.Two conflicting aesthetics, mutual only in their clothing of the form are harmonised in the riding habit apron skirt; tailored when the wearer is mounted and a contorted, draped mass of fabric when she is not. Abigail Jubb’s re-contextualization of this complex garment produces a contemporary hybrid of tailoring and its antithesis, drape; asserting their conflict as a conceptual catalyst.a project informed by cultural citations of tailoring and drape alongside exploration of their social and visual narratives, the tensions between the two aesthetics are exploited by Abigail Jubb to formulate the design dialogue presented by Tailoring Versus Drape. Abigail Jubb

Abigail Jubb Graduate Collection | Tailoring vs Drape | 2015 from Sophie Cunningham on Vimeo.

Luis Miguel Sanchez Garzas

Luis Miguel Sanchez Garzas's graduate collection at GSA was a crazy collection that looked as if it had sprung from a man locked naked in a shed, who had crafted his own clothing and accessories from the things he found . . . utterly crazy and with the appeal of a dressing up box to a child.
Everyone wanted to try on the crazy shoes with their platforms formed from scraps of wood.
This collection seemed to encompass lots of religious influences with folk art influences and used unconventional materials to create a unique, interesting and exciting collection.

"Throughout my childhood and adolescence I was often surrounded by my fathers industrial and DIY materials. These materials were extremely inspiring and they still evoke in me an emotional and sentimental bond with my family and roots as a designer, nostalgic feelings that are so powerful that I knew they would keep me more excited than if I were to use traditional fashion fabrics. The use of those unconventional fabrics invites the viewer and myself to rethink functionality and innovation within fashion."   Luis Miguel Sanchez Garzas

Sarah Findlay

What was lovely to see about Sarah Finlay's collection was the obvious ease and happiness wearing her clothes gave the models. This collection 'Youth Club' explored how contemporary and vintage children's fashions can be adapted for adults.

Elaine Southwell

Elaine Southwell's graduate collection "Wrapped Up" at Galashields was inspired by buddhist robes and the nature of drape with layered saffron and red garments, wraps and ties.

"Inspired by Buddhism the collection looks at traditional robes and how this uniform creates both a synergy of identity but individuality simultaneously." Elaine Southwell.

Ania Kuźnia

Ania Kuźnia created a graduate woman's wear collection designed using the principles of zero waste pattern cutting collection. Ania also has a specialist business making flamenco skirts and dresses which has emerged from her interest in this dance form.

"When I was making flamenco outfits for a show, I had this pile off cuts fabrics. . .  I collected them and tried to reuse them  to reduce the waste, so I began to think about how I could create something from the remaining fabrics or use them in my existing flamenco designs. I started looking for any ideas and I came across Timmo Rissanen and Holly McQuillan designers and lecturers who have both developed individual zero waste techniques. I founded it fascinating and wanted to give a go.
I started looking at the clothes construction in fashion history and among traditional costumes around the world., particularly where fabrics were expensive to make was fully exploited." Ania Kuźnia

Imogen Woolley II

Imogen Woolley's interpretations of The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey .

"As part of my Final Year Collection I designed costumes for Eowyn Ivey's 'The Snow Child'. With beautifully crafted descriptions and imagery throughout, Ivey creates an almost supernatural landscape, which is both beautiful and curiously terrifying at the same time.  We see Alaska for what it is, but are taken on a journey that seems to be always questioning what is really happening.  The descriptions are whimsical and enchanting yet are completely pure, and depict the scenery magnificently. I really wanted my costumes to have a cold and wintery feel to them, looking at fashion and textile designers that have worked with layered items of clothing. I have particularly focused on japanese and scandinavian fashion for my shape inspiration as there is a sense of purity and simple shapes that i really liked about these, taking interesting textiles and working them onto simple garment shapes. For my colour pallet I have mainly taken inspiration from Alaskan Architecture, whereby I found in the small towns many of the buildings were beautiful muted primary tones. I then wanted to link this to neutral colours, giving quite a naive but depth to the costumes" Imogen Woolley

Laura McIntosh

Laura MacIntosh's graduate collection for Fashion Technology at Heriot-Watt was; 'Henko' an adaptable, morphing range of clothing perfect for the constantly changing Scottish climate. 

Stylish minimalism was key to this elegant highly wearable collection of convertible fashion separates that cleverly transform with minimal effort into a variety of aesthetics and functions. 

"The collection is called Henko which means change and adaptation in Japanese as inspirations of the collection were taken from japanese culture and traditional dress. The collection contains five convertible staple garments paired with simple complementary separates.  The project aims were to investigate whether convertible fashion could be introduced to a mainstream market and be commercially viable. I wanted to create convertible garments that are different and more innovative than what is already available on the market such as infinity dresses made of stretch jersey. I wanted to use different materials with more interesting textures and properties. Using a juxtaposition of wool and silk a luxurious feel is created as these garments must be of high quality to withstand repeated use. " Laura MacIntosh

Ryan Kirk

Ryan Kirk graduated in Fashion Technology from Heriot Watt University this week. His collection 'Architecture of the Earth used sustainable innovative fabrics such as banana fibre and recycled plastic to create a 'capsule' collection of different layers of texture like different strata in the earth.

"The main aim for my work is to select new and innovative sustainable fabrics. The collection incorporates both natural fibres and post-consumer waste to help overflowing landfill issues and to eliminate devastating environmental disasters. On one side the natural fibres will biodegrade if they were ever sent to landfill, and on the other, the use of post-consumer waste prevents it going to landfill." Ryan Kirk

Joanne Thomas

I loved Joanne Thomas's 'All We Have Is Words' collection at the Heriot-Watt University degree show. Joannes collection explored and contextualised her emotions and thoughts about her grandmother loss of sight and the emotions this loss generated. The delicate feminine clothes had a beautiful flow but were bound to show the loss of independence whilst the nature of the sheer fabric expressed a vulnerability and sense of being exposed.