WHO: When your alumni includes the likes of Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and MyDaily's own Mary Katrantzou, it's perhaps no surprise that tickets to the Central Saint MartinsMA graduate show are some of the most sought after at London Fashion Week.
IN A NUTSHELL: With 20 graduate collections on show in quick succession, the overwhelming sensation was that the bold, innovative and slightly insane kind of fashion thinking that has put Central Saint Martins on the map under the watchful eye of MA supremo Louise Wilson, who is marking her 20th year as course director, is alive and well. Overall there was an austere, dark mood with androgyny order of the day, and oversized tunics with rounded Herman Munster-esque shoulders a recurrent silhouette
At the end of the show, Luke Brooks, who showed distressed tapestry patch tunics and paint splattered fabrics teams with huge tassled brothel crepers, was named recipient of the L'Oreal Professional Creative Award. The award was shared with Craig Green, who showed monchrome and architectural menswear (we're talking hugecubes and spheres attached to the models' backs).
Green's work must have been just the cup of tea for Zaha Hadid, who was sitting front row alongside Gareth Pugh, Joan Burnstein and Iain Duncan Smith MP. The latter surely being our most WTF front row spot this season.
Photo: Getty
VERDICT: Yes, most of this stuff doesn't translate to the kind of thing you can pop to the supermarket in and yes, there was a danger of political and artistic concept overshadowing form - but it's important to remember that this is just the beginning for many of these talented young creatives. It's not easy feat to become a global fashion player and many of the names on the runway will be forgotten by next year, but for the next big thing in fashion last night proved that Central Saint Martins remains the international breeding ground for genuinely original fashion.