By Katie Dominy / 01-09-2010

The annual Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) in London showcases the work of over 50 UK and international fashion courses. 

In June this year for the first time, an International Award was introduced, which was competed for by the five non-UK colleges exhibiting at the event. These were: AMFI Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI); AMD Academie Mode and Design, Hamburg; FHNW Academy of Arts & Design – Institute Fashion Design, Basel; Saint-Petersburg State University of Technology and Design; and LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore.

June Barker, Director Graduate Fashion Week says of the new award, “This is a very exciting new development for Graduate Fashion Week. In recent years more and more of GFW’s member universities have set up faculties overseas. We hope that by introducing international universities to GFW, we will help raise the profile of their courses in the UK, and providing UK graduates an opportunity to consider doing an MA overseas.”

Amsterdam Fashion Institute was selected to choose its five best students for a special International catwalk, as were the other international schools. Leslie Holden, Head of Fashion at AMFI says, “AMFI has a strong international profile.  Each department has an international ‘stream’, taught fully in English.  20% of AMFI students are international, and come from all over the world. Therefore, Graduate Fashion Week is an important event for AMFI to be involved in to deepen and widen our international profile and to share good practice with colleagues from British Universities.”

After the first catwalk show, consisting of 20 graduate designers, the judges selected the three best collections as finalists for the overall prize which was awarded to Roya Hesam. The young Dutch designer also received prize money of £1,000. “The judges were looking for the best overall collection in design, cut, construction, colour and fabric.  And of course things like inspiration for the collection, innovation, direction and creativity,” says Barker. Jury member Mark Eley comments: ''My fellow judges Betty Jackson, Vanessa Anderson from River Island and members of the Executive Committee picked the winner because she showed quiet sophistication together with an understated approach to contemporary dressing for women.” Design.nl talked to Roya Hesam about her winning collection entitled 'Shame.'


What was the concept of the collection?
This collection is based on the human feeling of 'shame', which revolves around the contradictory emotions that are inherent in all humankind. It’s about the sense of shame that people try to hide by acting shamelessly. My hybrid design aesthetic confronts or associates feelings - fear with decency or abnormality with health - liberating these emotions from their predominantly negative forms to then transmute them into superbly crafted designs that...`shame-lessly` mask one's weaknesses, giving the wearer a powerful alternative for a new sense of self.

With this concept in my mind I've created `exhibitionist`-like fashion that intentionally reveals specific parts of the human physiognomy, through a layering of frosted transparent fabrics like silk or organza that partially cover the body or merely reveal the flesh beneath.

What fabrics and colours were used?
To accentuate the contrast of shame and impudence, I used transparent fabrics like silk and organza to demonstrate the sensitive body(parts). The use of layers and the combination of transparent and opaque fabrics strengthened this idea. In addition I have made visible fabrics which are usually worn close to skin and under clothing. For the opaque parts, I used wool, leather and suede.'

The colour used in the collection floods from light to darkness. The palette starts with skin colour, which can also be considered as the naked body and passes through to black. The black colour represents the loss of yourself, like a black hole. Each outfit has its own, same tones. By choosing tonal colours and frosted substances, my collection looks rather virtuous and decent at first sight, but when the garments are near the body and you put them on, your body appears to perform by itself.

How do you think AMFI graduate work compares with the work from the UK colleges you saw at GFW?
I think the graduate work of AMFI is more minimalistic and soft compared with the work of UK graduates. From what I saw at GFW, the work of UK colleges was more experimental in a dramatic way. The total look was heavy and dark. It seems that they are still inspired by a rock and gothic style.   

And your plans for the future?
After my graduation, I decided to start my own label. My label is represented by the So Dutch Fashion Foundation. And I’m busy with my new collection which will be exhibited in January 2011. Right now, I’ve one retail outlet in Rotterdam. My plans are to show and exhibit my work at the right place to the right people, to get the right contacts. After January 2011, I will introduce my work to more retailers.

GFW Main image and images 1-3: courtesy of Artsthread

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