I visited the Central Saint Martins Fashion and Photography Degree Show last night, down over on Charing Cross Road , and I must say what an experience! I have never been to anything like this before so I was really excited to see what was waiting for me.
Firstly I was taken back by the building itself – the dark, old, worn out exterior didn’t reflect the inside. Even though I was also surprised by the interior, the decor behind the exhibition itself, I was very inspired by what I saw and knew I was in the midst of something quite special, especially being in the same space which elevated Alexander McQueen and the likes of Stella McCartney, Zac Posen, Paul Smith and Hamish Bowles – editor at large at Vogue (wow!!!). Knowing this was where such influential people in fashion studied, created such fantastic pieces and walked the same corridors, touched me in a very special way.
As I wondered around the different rooms of fashion filled creative-ness, I was in awe of not only of the clothes made but also student’s portfolios, filled with drawings and sketches and images of pieces that had been made. Each portfolio was different to the next, not just in content but in the way they were presented. Most were the usual look book formats. However some were A3 size, some smaller, some portrait, some landscape. Some were made from different materials. One portfolio which stood and seem dominant over the others was the one made from metal – quite harsh and edgy.
I enjoyed flicking through the portfolios. I was fascinated by the ideas, from initial sketches and drawings to photographs of completed pieces. I can only imagine the hectic process this must have been. Looking at the empty studios as I wandered from one room to the next reflected this, with mannequins scattered around, strands of material on the tables and floor – a last minute rush of madness it seemed. This was in stark contrast to the exhibition rooms where strange yet beautiful pieces of clothing hung from the ceiling, quite peacefully, wanting to be adorned by exhibitors, portfolios scattered around the sides of the rooms, as well as students themselves, finally getting a chance to relax and enjoy their work. This compared to maybe a few weeks ago, where the environment would have probably been very different!
I left not only feeling inspired but mesmerised by what I saw and the highly fuelled creative atmosphere I had left, back into the normality of the ‘real world.’