8 Fashion Design Graduates Share their work and what it’s like graduating during a pandemic
When school started last fall no one could have anticipated how it would end in the spring: classes finishing online, projects left in studios that were suddenly closed, exhibits and presentations cancelled.
This affects all students but for graduating college seniors it can be especially daunting. And for budding fashion designers? They face unique challenges. A combination of fast fashion and social media pushed an agenda of “more more more” that trickled UP to high fashion houses where designers went from making 2-4 collections per year to as many as 12. This demand pushed resources to the breaking point and this pandemic is perhaps the straw breaking the camel’s back.
We can’t go back to that way of living –even if we wanted to. Which is why it is so great to see these graduates not only understanding the challenges ahead but already embracing them. They are thoughtful about the world and their place in it and that is reflected in their work. Not only do they understand that they can’t do things “old school” they’re not even interested. Even at the undergraduate level they’re looking at the process as much as the end product.
Thinking about things through a sustainable lens is almost a given but they’re also looking at design as an expression of community, the importance of regenerative processes and exploring bacteria and other organic materials. And through it all they still see fashion as a way to communicate and share with the world who we are.
Here are 8 recent graduates from London College of Fashion, Parsons, and Pratt Institute sharing their thoughts and their creativity.
