First Look: Central Saint Martins Internal B.A. Show

By Alex Fury, 14:47 Fri 22 May 2009

Qian Jessie Jiang floral tribute

They don't call Central Saint Martins 'The Tastefactory' for nothing: at last count, thirty of the designers showing at London Fashion Week graced its corridors, with a clutch showing abroad and untold numbers working under designers as diverse at Marc Jacobs, Miuccia Prada and Nicolas Ghesquiere. Therefore it is understandable that the final year shows from the august institution's M.A. and B.A. alike elicit much fevered anticipation of the next next big thing: John Galliano made his big splash back in 1984 at the B.A. graduation show - and a star, as they say, was born.

This year there was added gravitas to the - the historic (if crumbling) corridors graced by the likes of Galliano, McQueen et al will be vacated for new custom-built premises at Kings Cross come summer 2010. Thus this year's graduates are perhaps the last to show their wares in these hallowed halls. Each and every graduate for the design pathways of Central Saint Martins show their collections (all 150-or-so) internally, whittling the masses down to thirty or so for the final press show later this month. I was lucky enough to be invited to view the raw talent in-house as part of the panel to decide the final press show line-up - a rare treat considering many a journo has been ousted from this unedited show.

So what of the graduates? Without wanting to give the game away before the press premiere, there were distinct and defined trends amongst the good, the bad, and the ugly. Fleshy tones and clever ways with organza dominated many a collection (shades of Christopher Kane no doubt), likewise 3-D flap, straps and padded protrusions and a somewhat less avant-garde surfeit of flashy sequin. Just as mainstream fashion throws up alternative trouser shapes galore, so too does Saint Martins, with every variation from dhoti to zouave to conjoined at the knee, along with a few unexpected and occasionally unappetising alternatives on the skirt (a design classic maybe best left unaltered in my opinion). From the parade, however, a number leapt out: Qian Jessie Jiang's flurry of florals - including artificial blooms sprouting from ankles and hats - was uplifting and exuberant, likewise Estafania Cortes-Harker's Liberty-print Toreador jackets (an odd juxtaposition, granted, but it worked). Gabriella Maria Gonzales toyed with punkature, including savage buckled harnesses, zippered leathers and hefty cobweb mohairs that looked as if they had been knitted on a couple of broomsticks. My personal favourite (and the name I'm expecting to see much more of in the near future) was Dean Quinn, showing a sharp collection of razor-tailored mini-dresses, trousers and jackets in shades of white and black crusted with thousands of spikey bugle-beads. The skill, and the focus, behind this collection belied his years and sent a genuine shivver of anticipation up the spine - just what we expect Central Saint Martins to deliver.

Those are my tips anyway - the interesting point will be to see exactly who makes it through to the eyes of world in the press show on 2 June.