FUTURE OF FASHION with Kingston University

June is not only an exciting month for upcoming men’s collections, it is also graduation time for a lot of creatives leaving university. For most of them and especially those studying fashion design, the time has come to showcase their work of the past months and years in front of a professional audience. As nerve-racking as this test may seem, it is also an amazing way for students to end three years of intensive dedication to their art. As we look forward, it’s clear to see, these are the faces of tomorrow’s fashion.

In partnership with some of London’s best fashion universities, .Cent Magazine has selected the most promising graduates to ask them a few questions about graduation and what is next. Here is the first part, featuring four of the graduates from Kingston University London.

LYDIA BOLTON – BA Fashion (Hons), Kingston University London

How does it feel knowing you’re not far off finishing your degree?
It’s exciting but also a bit scary. I don’t think you realise quite how much you have learned until you’re out there in the real world putting it into practice.
I’m really looking forward to what happens next, but still a bit apprehensive as it’s a step into the unknown.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned from your time at Kingston University?
I think the main thing is to stay true to your aesthetic and not try to change your vision to fit in with other trends or brands. I’ve learned to focus on what I like, making my work exciting and new and not being influenced by someone else.

What’s next for you after you graduate?
I’m looking to move into design work as a next step. In the long-term I would love to have my own label, but I’m looking forward to finding out what is out there first and seeing what opportunities come my way.

EMMA BRIE – BA Fashion (Hons), Kingston University London

How do you feel knowing you’re not far off finishing your degree?
At the start of forming a collection, it feels like you will never see the end – however, it all goes by really quickly so you end up with mixed feelings of relief and slight sadness to be finished.
It can feel daunting to be finishing education, but I am looking forward to the opportunities that will arise and to continue learning and gaining experience in a professional environment.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned from your time at Kingston University?
In my final year I was free to design in a relatively unrestricted way, which meant I questioned myself and my own design vision a lot. This led me to constantly change my mind, but it also allowed room for a lot of self-development.

What’s next for you, after you graduate?
I don’t have set plans as yet, but I’m looking forward to what the next year might bring.

JAMES GERAGHTY – BA Fashion (Hons), Kingston University London

How do you feel knowing you’re not far off finishing your degree?
I feel exactly how I expect every other soon-to-be fashion graduate to be feeling – a mixture of dread and excitement. The thought of finishing or taking a break from education after 18 years is daunting, but the prospect of having a job where I get to do what I love is amazing and exciting. Thankfully at Kingston University, we finish the fashion degree by showcasing our work at Graduate Fashion Week, which has proven to be a great platform for young talent to get their work out to employers and industry professionals – something that is otherwise hard to do with thousands of equally talented fashion graduates entering the industry each year.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned from your time at Kingston University?
I have learned to never stop pushing your own limits and to never take no for an answer.

What’s next for you, after you graduate?
Hopefully I’ll have a holiday of some sort, before jumping into the fashion scene. I’d like to build on my experience by working at a high end brand to continue learning, then hopefully I’ll have the chance to undertake a masters degree in a couple of years.

CAOIMHE SAVAGE – BA Fashion (Hons), Kingston University London

How do you feel knowing you’re not far off finishing your degree?
I feel as though I’m ready to move on from my degree. I’ve loved every minute of it and learned an incredible amount, but I don’t look at it as the end of something; I see it as the start of something new. I have only just started to understand my aesthetic language as a designer, and I feel confident to move on and progress further in to the fashion industry.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned from your time at Kingston University?
I learned to embrace happy accidents – things don’t always go to plan but if you adapt to these changes, something unexpected will come out of your designs to challenge the process, which is far more exciting than knowing what the final outcome will be. I also learned to stay positive throughout the experience, to really love and enjoy the course and to gain everything I could from what Kingston University has to offer.

What’s next for you, after you graduate?
I’m currently applying for design jobs, in the hope that I will able to develop my own design practice even further. I would love to get some experience in the current fashion industry, but I’m waiting to see what happens.