Ones To Watch From the LCF BA Graduate Show

BY Sayo Olukoga

July 14, 2022

Ones To Watch From the LCF BA Graduate Show

The London fashion community has a stellar reputation for welcoming new talent into the fold and giving them the space to creatively express themselves through their practices. For decades, institutions and schools like London College of Fashion have nurtured emerging creatives, giving them the tools and knowledge on how to navigate the industry all while producing work that represents them, their passions, and their generation. And the LCF graduate showcase is the perfect example of what hands-on support can foster in a student.

Hosted at Truman Brewery, the showcase featured work from students across the college, spotlighting and celebrating the work of graduates from different courses like Fashion Styling & Production, Bespoke Tailoring, Fashion Design & Technology and many more. Head of London College of Fashion, Professor Andrew Teverson said: “We are delighted to present LCF Class of 22; an immersive representation of how London College of Fashion students are telling unique stories that go beyond the traditional notions of what fashion can achieve.”

Last night, along with the showcase, 119 students from the Fashion Design Technology Womenswear & Menswear, presented their graduate collections in a runway show for the first time. Here are some of our standout designers, and ones to watch out for.

Sharon Navarro Moreno- FOR THE CULTURE (@fashionbysharon)

‘For The Culture’ rewrites the narrative about working class, immigrant communities in the London, a topic close to Sharon’s heart. She debuted her oversized boxed jacket with neon orange lining on the runway, but her other pieces, including oversized cargo trousers and cropped puffer gilet can be seen in her campaign shots- taken in Manor Park, the place she calls home.

Even though Sharon is a womenswear graduate, her pieces are perfect for anyone who wants to take back control of the way they’ve been perceived and take matters into their own hands via fashion.

Harry Dickerson- ANDROGYNOUS WORKWEAR (@harrydickerson_)

Denim has long been synonymous with the idea of the working man, making it a perfect material for Harry Dickerson’s graduate collection. Using the material in different silhouettes and with different types of craftsmanship, Harry’s collection speaks to the stereotypes around gender and what is ‘traditional’ for menswear.

He cites Thom Browne’s SS/2020 show as inspiration, hoping that his pieces encourage his consumers to question their thinking around masculinity and fashion.

Azura Kavuma- BLACK OPULENCE (@mr.azura)

Black masculinity and fashion has been under a microscope for the last few years, and menswear designer Azura Kavuvma is giving his own unique perspective on the subject, courtesy of his South London upbringing and East African heritage.

Showcasing pieces like traditional shawls and draped skirts with wide leg trousers insired by the Masai tribe, but with a luxe streetwear twist, Azura combined the best of both his identities, all while celebrating the opulence and beauty of Blackness. He also collaborated with Fashion Jewellery graduate @faiththedesigner to create pieces that are keepsakes of East African culture, like the cowrie brooch and earrings.

Tegan Peel- POWERPLAY (@teganpeel__)

Tackling the “taboo”, Tegan Peel’s collection is an in-depth exploration of how fetishwear and sex culture have been treated in fashion. The collection shines a light on the power certain garments hold and integrates typical materials of fetishwear like latex and leather to merge the controversial with high-end fashion, showing that the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

‘Powerplay’ is targeted specifically to queer males between 21-35 and embodies how Tegan works as a designer, “using her own vision of what she views as empowering, creating items we are not exposed to often in a high-end market.”