Every year fashion and design students from universities around the country put up displays and shows exhibiting their final major projects. As this was my first year seeing an exhibition by graduate students I didn't know what to expect. However, the central Saint Martins foundation degree show didn't disappoint. A few weeks later I also got to see all of the fashion graduates portfolios at Graduate Fashion Week as well as the University of Lancashire catwalk show.
Often times the work of students and young creatives is overlooked; not only by employers and industry specialists but our peers alike. Students from the same university or even somebody studying another course don't show an unwavering support system to their creative friends like they perhaps should. As a fashion journalism student I feel as though this is of the utmost importance, and as a part of this peer group we should understand their struggle, and acknowledge the pure talent that they demonstrate through their work.
As a first example of supporting them, just being there and attending their showcases is very important. When you display your pride toward the work of students at your university you create a supportive community and an atmosphere of goodwill. And when the time comes, I'm sure they would be more than happy to return the favor.
Whenever you can, talk about their work to your friends, recommend their skills on Linkedin or simply like their page on Facebook; just a bit of support can go a long way. We are always reminded of the importance of networking but at times we cease to remember that these are the people we will be working with in a few years. These are contacts that in a few years will be quite valuable.
And this doesn't only apply for everyone studying something in the creative field; when students from other courses bring attention to your work it brings a whole new audience and the amount of support increases immensely.
Lastly, the university's or student union's efforts to advertise the graduate shows have been miniscule from what I've seen. Posters of the shows should be put up around the university as well as around the town centre. There should be a Facebook event as well as the show promoted around the various groups for students. This year there was barely any visibility for the graduate shows which is a shame, because I am sure a lot of students would love to attend.
With this being said, I must admit I could do better with supporting my peer's work and collaborating with them. Going to the CSM showcase just reminded me how much talent there is out there and how unfortunately much of it goes unnoticed by the majority of people. Here are some of my favourite pieces from the exhibitions for you to indulge yourselves in and hopefully realize how professional student's work at universities are.
www.tranoi.com is a good website for finding out the latest news from recent fashion graduates or other blooming talents in the industry. It's also a good idea to check universities' websites and youtube for the latest shows.
1 comments
I love the freshness of all the designs - the graduates haven't been influenced or pressured yet and their designs are still brimming with creativity!
ReplyDelete~Sophia
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