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UEL students dress for success at Graduate Fashion Week show

Monday 16 June 2008

Final-year Fashion Design students from the University of East London (UEL) signed off in style with a stunning catwalk display at this year’s UEL Graduate Fashion Week show, held at Earls Court on Monday 9 June.

Fifteen students, including several east London residents, exhibited their final collections at the high-profile event, which showcases the very best of student fashion design from around the UK. The UEL show was attended by photographers, talent scouts, journalists and buyers from all over the world, as well as families, tutors and friends.

Simon Waller (24), of Woolwich, was one of only ten UK students nominated for the prestigious River Island Gold Award – this year judged by a panel of experts including supermodel Claudia Schiffer and celebrated designer Julien McDonald. 

Simon, a graduating student on UEL’s BA (Hons) degree in Fashion Design with Marketing, was short-listed for his menswear collection, ‘He was a puppeteer…’, which features designs inspired by elements of pupettry, gothica and 18th century aristocracy.

Simon said: “It’s been an intense and amazing week; the UEL show was great, but to feature in the Gala Show and talk about my work with people like Julien and Claudia was an absolute honour. I wasn’t expecting it at all.

“My degree at UEL’s been brilliant; I’ve really enjoyed it and am very happy with the standard I’ve reached. I’ve created quite a classic collection of menswear with a touch of gothic glamour – formal tailoring with plenty of leather and lace. Now I need to make as many contacts as I can while people still remember my work!”

Other highlights of the UEL show included Melanie Cullinane’s dark and fluid designs; Carol Boland’s colourful combination of retro prints, tailored suits and party dresses; and Gadon Liu’s feminine and sophisticated collection, ‘Lucky Knitwear’.

Lucy Jones, Subject Director for Fashion and Textiles at UEL's School of Architecture and the Visual Arts, said: "The show’s been a great success and a wonderful opportunity for students to see their work in a professional context.

“This year’s graduates are an extremely talented and creative group; I have no doubt that they'll do us all proud and go on to achieve considerable success in their careers in fashion."

UEL has excellent links in the fashion industry and is renowned as a leading university for Fashion and Textiles. For further information, visit www.uel.ac.uk/ava or contact Nadia on 020 8223 2517.

Students exhibiting their designs at UEL’s Graduate Fashion Week show included:

Melanie Cullinane (22), of Shadwell, is a graduating student on UEL’s BA (Hons) degree in Fashion Design with Marketing. Melanie said: “It was completely electrifying to see my collection on the catwalk – it looked so different worn by professional models.

“The designs were inspired by the movement and fluidity of dark, shadowed and rippling water. Fluid lines, volume and constrained tight panels help to reflect the mood and imagery that influenced my designs.”

Gadon Liu (26), of Woolwich, exhibited his final year collection ‘Lucky Knitwear’. Gadon said: “It was an amazing show and a great way to end an intense and rewarding degree.

“‘Lucky Knitwear’ was initially inspired by my obsession with my muse, who I studied through film, photography and collecting small trophy items. The collection explores the mixing of fabrics, embellishment, proportion and colour.”

Julia Reiman (25), of Hackney, is a graduating student on UEL’s BA (Hons) degree in Fashion Design with Marketing. Julia said: “Oh my god – I’m so relieved and happy about how beautiful my collection looked on the catwalk!

“My designs were inspired by the life and lifelong journey of my grandmother, who was born in China, raised in Russia and lived in Germany. The main themes of the collection concern loss privacy and intimacy, restriction and the circumstances of a refugee life.”

Zaid Beegun (23), of Prince Regent, exhibited his final year collection ‘Covert Communication’. Zaid said: “Words can’t describe how I’m feeling. It’s fantastic to be finally showing my collection on the Graduate Fashion Walk catwalk.

“It’s been an intense degree; we’ve had to create six full pieces for our final collection, as well as a 17,000 word business plan. We constantly had to switch our minds from the rationality of marketing to the creativity of design, and it’s been great to get an insight into both sides of the fashion industry.

“My collection has been inspired by the secretive world of espionage, particularly the recent UK/Russian governmental conflict. The theme of the collection is one of concealed and covert communication in the form of secret compartments and the use of puff binding Braille and laser etched Coding, which all relate to the map prints featured in the collection.”

For details and pictures contact Daniel Cherry: 020 8223 2194

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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