Meet Tomorrow’s Fashion Stars: Twelve Recent Graduates From Central Saint Martins
Photo: Victoria Adamson
No fashion school on the planet has the cachet of Central Saint Martins, the London art college that counts Alexander McQueen, Gareth Pugh, and Stella McCartney among its alumni. We talked to twelve of the most promising talents from the class of 2012 about their senior year collections, design inspirations (Halston! Nuns! Soccer!), and future aspirations. See our slideshow to meet the future designers and to see their sketches and shots from their thesis runway presentations, which include dustbowl-looking menswear, futuristic egg-shaped skirts, elegant sportswear, and more.
Hayley Grundmann, 23 The collection:
Candy-colored woven dresses with exaggerated high waists, silk organza detailing, and retro granny styling....
Hayley Grundmann, 23 The collection:
Candy-colored woven dresses with exaggerated high waists, silk organza detailing, and retro granny styling. “It was based on those plastic checked laundry bags and the tile flooring of laundrettes,” says Grundmann.
On her earliest fashion memory:
“I had a business at primary school selling clothes that I made for Barbies. I turned old socks into doll jumpers and sold them for 20p.”
Pun Sarasas, 24 The collection:
Skinny suits in abstract prints, slouchy patchwork fur coats. “I was thinking about Mick Jagger and the Stones,”...
Pun Sarasas, 24 The collection:
Skinny suits in abstract prints, slouchy patchwork fur coats. “I was thinking about Mick Jagger and the Stones,” says Sarasas.
On making big statements:
“A collection should grow on you. It doesn’t have to be 'bang!' memorable-amazing, but something that people look back on later and think is amazing.
Drew Henry, 25 The collection:
Geometric patches of brightly dyed African springbok skins on crisp white suits and pleated white cotton dresses...
Drew Henry, 25 The collection:
Geometric patches of brightly dyed African springbok skins on crisp white suits and pleated white cotton dresses. “It’s a mix of workwear, menswear, and traditional beadwork and patchwork inspired by the work of photographer David Goldblatt,” says Henry.
On his springbok-skin drama:
“When we were working on this collection, the menswear shows were going on and Raf Simons had used the same color springbok skin as I wanted to use! I thought it was going to ruin everything but it ended up being fine.”
Ruoxin Jin, 24 The collection: A fantastical trip to the funfair: tiny crocheted figures of warriors on graphic, box-shaped silhouettes.
On he...
Ruoxin Jin, 24 The collection: A fantastical trip to the funfair: tiny crocheted figures of warriors on graphic, box-shaped silhouettes.
On her designer influences:
“I spent my [internship] working at Alexander McQueen, but now I’m very much into Céline. It’s something about the lifestyle, which is very modern.”
Sarah Simkins, 23 The collection:
Smooth and minimalist in tones of black, white, navy, and claret, with an emphasis on new shapes. “The chests ...
Sarah Simkins, 23 The collection:
Smooth and minimalist in tones of black, white, navy, and claret, with an emphasis on new shapes. “The chests of my pieces are built out to Victorian proportions,” says Simkins.
On her design idol:
“I really admire Miuccia Prada and her attitude towards dressing intelligent women.”
Luke Stevens, 23 The collection:
Everyday streetwear (sports fleece jackets, polyester school pants), transformed. Says Stevens, “It came from p...
Luke Stevens, 23 The collection:
Everyday streetwear (sports fleece jackets, polyester school pants), transformed. Says Stevens, “It came from playing with ordinary clothes and stitching things with elastic or adding exaggerated care labels.”
On luxury:
“Something doesn’t have to be made out of £150/metre silk to be amazing. It can be made out of fleece or school-trouser fabric. It's all what you do with it.
Isabella Newell, 23 The collection:
Billowy bell-sleeved blouses, luxe track shorts, and flared skirts in the red and white team colors of Arsen...
Isabella Newell, 23 The collection:
Billowy bell-sleeved blouses, luxe track shorts, and flared skirts in the red and white team colors of Arsenal Football Club. “It's sporty but also quite straight and playful,” says Newell.
On fashion-world stardom:
“I’m very adaptable. I think that to be a good designer, you should be able to design anything. Some people, of course, end up doing their own thing, but that’s not what I want to do. I want to work with someone else’s brief."
Savannah Yarborough, 25 The collection:
Rumpled lightweight coats, rough-hewn hobo pants, and henleys in tones of concrete grey and burnt orang...
Savannah Yarborough, 25 The collection:
Rumpled lightweight coats, rough-hewn hobo pants, and henleys in tones of concrete grey and burnt orange inspired by abandoned buildings in the American South.
On her design idol:
“Natalie Chanin [of Project Alabama] makes everything by hand. I’m really inspired by the craft of making things.”
Alan Lee, 23 The collection:
Sporty dresses in soft felted wools that mimic sweatshirt material, sharp calf-length pencil skirts, and raglan-sle...
Alan Lee, 23 The collection:
Sporty dresses in soft felted wools that mimic sweatshirt material, sharp calf-length pencil skirts, and raglan-sleeved tops. Says Lee, “I wanted it to be very wearable.”
On his designer influences:
“Halston, I think, saw women in a way that I relate to. For him, fashion wasn’t imposing something, it was a bit more like a gift.”
Serena Gili, 26 The collection:
Austere, bell-shaped resin skirts and embellished bibbed blouses. “Foucault’s Discipline and Punish got me thin...
Serena Gili, 26 The collection:
Austere, bell-shaped resin skirts and embellished bibbed blouses. “Foucault’s Discipline and Punish got me thinking about rules and institutions,” says Gili. “It also led me to think about nuns and devotion.”
On her start as a designer:
“When I graduated, old friends were congratulating me, saying, 'Serena, we’re so happy that you managed to follow your dreams!' I had forgotten that, when I was 13, I was already doing this.”
Natalija Mencej The collection:
Oversize knits with a hip-hop attitude via the candy store, in baby-boy-blues, soft lilacs, and pinks.
On wh...
Natalija Mencej The collection:
Oversize knits with a hip-hop attitude via the candy store, in baby-boy-blues, soft lilacs, and pinks.
On what she learned at CSM:
“Don’t try to please anyone, be very honest with yourself, and have fun. Fashion should be about making the world nicer, happier and more fun.”
Brandy Easter, 23 The collection:
A madcap, homespun mix of layered patterns and colors, accessorized with crescent-shaped cat pillows (worn as ...
Brandy Easter, 23 The collection:
A madcap, homespun mix of layered patterns and colors, accessorized with crescent-shaped cat pillows (worn as scarves) and cat-ear hats.
On her earliest fashion memory:
“When I was four, I would wear my shoes to sleep. My dad would ask, ‘Why are you wearing your shoes to sleep?’ and I'd say, ‘My shoes need to sleep, too!’"
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