London College of Fashion: School of Media and Communication BA Graduates Exhibition – 3rd July 2012

Greeted at the door with champagne and an extensive list of names to link to their work on display, I was amazed at the standard, quality and range of the pieces that lined the walls, filling the otherwise minimal space with vibrancy and colour. The students themselves were, of course, impeccably dressed in that fabulous trend of ‘nonchalant London’, and they spoke animatedly to each other about their work and what would follow now that they had graduated. The entire space had an electric feel: excitement, nervousness and pride all rolled into one.

The graduating categories were as follows:

Fashion Illustration

Fashion Styling and Photography

Hair and Make-up for Fashion

Fashion: Styling & Photography

Hair and Make-up for Film and TV

Fashion: Hair & Make-up

Technical Effects for Performance

Make-up and Prosthetics for Performance

Costume for Performance

Fashion Photography

Fashion Journalism

Fashion Public Relations

As you can imagine, the room was busy what with the 219 students presenting their work. All of the work was incredible, but there were certainly some pieces that stood out. All students are put under an extraordinary amount of pressure to succeed, as not only are they entering into a very competitive industry, but they have also been accepted into some of the best BA and MA courses in Media and Communication the UK has to offer. Standards are almost as high as the expectations, and that is probably an understatement.

These are just a few examples of how originality, hard work and creativity have shone through:

No.78 – Catherine Pykett: BA (Hons) Fashion: Styling & Photography

No.90 – Aleksandra Kucharska: BA (Hons) Technical Effects for Performance

No. 95 – Isabelle Tollitt: FdA Hair and Make-up for Film and TV

No.116 – James Carver-Grenside: BA (Hons) Fashion Photography

James Carver-Grenside shot most of his work in the exhibition in woodland areas around Surrey, using models from the Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre based in Guildford, which James was a member of for some years. “I feel that I achieved a sense of authenticity from the casting by using the YA kids, rather than going through a modelling agency. They’re used to being directed, and they were willing to really go for it and have fun with the shoot.” James has used actors instead of models in previous shoots, including one based around the Roald Dahl children’s stories for his A level Photography course and Alton College, Hampshire. As far as I can tell from the quality and high level of personality that oozes from his images, casting actors leads to a lot more expression and bravery, aiming for an eye-catching photograph, rather than merely trying to look pretty. “I wanted a strong narrative throughout the series, the kids were so used to stage performance, they helped create a storyline.”

James with his BA Fashion Photography tutor Leila Miller.

Congratulations to all the students who have graduated this summer from the London College of Fashion! Who knows where we might see some of their names cropping up, between the pages of glossy magazines or on a programme for a show in the Apollo Victoria. They all certainly have the talent, so good luck!

Elizabeth Finney