Liverpool John Moores: Graduating Class

Now in its tenth year, Liverpool John Moores University's much celebrated annual Fashion Catwalk Show will showcase the final year collections of some of the most promising fashion students in the Northwest of England.

Fashion at LJMU is firmly established, with classes in dress and textiles introduced as early as 1936. In recent years the course has established a celebrated reputation, producing innovative and gifted designers who have gone on to secure a broad range of jobs within the international fashion industry. Offered within the School of Art and Design, the course has two pathways, Fashion Design and Fashion Communication, which work both independently and collaboratively for joint projects. The draw to study in Liverpool is underpinned by the city itself, which forms a creative platform for research and design development.

On Thursday 29 May, the John Lennon Art and Design Building will play host to two catwalk events (6.30pm and open to the public at 8.30pm), showing the work of 15 new graduating designers. The inspirations behind the 2014 show collections are diverse, with influences coming from sources such as an abandoned mental asylum building, the concept of slavery and the contrasting atmospheres of light and dark.

This year's LJMU graduate catwalk show will also include mini collections by L5 students taking part in a live project with the leading worldwide suppliers of raw cotton, Plexus. And, after the runway event, there will be an exhibition of work by students of the sister course, Fashion Communication (see interviews carried out by the students here: with Charlotte, with Serene, with Alicia, and with Olivia).

Following this local presentation of Fashion Design collections, the students and staff of the LJMU Fashion course will make the journey down to London to take part in Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) – the world's leading event for fashion graduates, where the collections from over 1,000 graduates from the most significant and exciting UK and international universities will be seen by around 20,000 guests. GFW previous participants include some of the most renowned designers today, including Christopher Bailey, Stella McCartney, Giles Deacon, Matthew Williamson and Julien Macdonald. This year GFW will run from Saturday 31 May to Tuesday 3 June 2014 and will be held in the Truman Brewery, at the heart of London's East End, for the first time.

For those unable to make it to the big smoke, head to the Liverpool School of Art and Design degree show, which runs for two weeks from the 29 May and will exhibit the fashion collections (along with work from Architecture, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Interior Design and more).

Check out The Skinny's exclusive shoot with our pick of the Liverpool John Moores graduating class. Who do you think will be the next big thing?

CREDITS

 

Photographer: Nuala Swan www.nualaswan.com

Styling: Alexandra Fiddes www.alexandrafiddes.co.uk

Make Up & Hair Styling: Kimberley Dewar @Colours Agency www.tinyurl.com/KimberleyDewar

Model: Kaitlin @Colours Agency

Garments: Liverpool John Moores University

Shoes: Topshop

1. Alicia Littler

2. Serene Papafio

3. Charlotte Conning

4. Olivia Iwediebo