Ravensbourne students make a splash at Graduate Fashion Week

Our talented students have made a huge impression at Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) this year!

Ruixin (Lexi) Wang, a Fashion Accessory and Textiles Futures graduate, took home an award for her butcher's apron-inspired accessories collection, while seven more students were shortlisted across a range of award categories with their incredible designs and thought-provoking ideas.

The shortlisted students include four students from our BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Brand Management course and three students from BA (Hons) Fashion Accessory and Textiles Futures.

Another student was also selected as a finalist for the Graduate Fashion Foundation’s Shelter competition.

This is a huge achievement, GFW is the largest showcase of fashion students’ work in the world, presenting the most inspiring works from both UK and international universities and colleges.

Students were nominated by their tutors, with the Graduate Fashion Foundation shortlisting 12 students in each category. The winners were announced at ceremonies on Tuesday 21 and Thursday 23 June. 

You can find out more about all our shortlisted students' projects below.

Ruixin (Lexi) Wang – Accessories Award and The FACE Excellence Prize Award

We are enormously proud that Ruixin won the Accessories Award! Her winning collection is called ‘New Cannibals’, which plays with the motif of a butcher’s apron. Each of the main designs in the collection – from gloves, tables, bags, and more – can transform into aprons. Separately, she is also an Arts of Fashion finalist with this collection.

Her collection was also shortlisted for the FACE Excellence Prize Award.

Ruixin said: “I felt so honoured to be selected by Graduate Fashion Week and Arts of Fashion. It makes me feel more confident about my collection and my focus on accessory design. This is also the best reward for my efforts in the past year.”

Raya Totzeva – Fashion Marketing Award

Raya was shortlisted for her ‘Borrow Browns’ concept. Using the tagline ‘Borrow the outfit, own the moment’, it proposes a luxury clothing rental service for the fashion retailer ‘Brown’.

Raya said: “I am very honoured and excited!  It is amazing getting recognition for a project I am so passionate about – I feel like all the hard work has been rewarded.”

Tronella Atim – Media Award

Tronella was shortlisted for ‘Aikonik’, an information hub and streetwear store for women. It seeks to carve out its own space in a traditionally male-centric market – and rejects the ‘pink it and shrink it’ strategy some brands adopt for women’s streetwear – to create a highly curated offering of selected brands for discerning customers.

Tronella said: “I am beyond happy to be shortlisted for the New Fashion Media awards by GFF – the news made my day! This has pushed me to work even harder, and I cannot wait to present to the judges.”

Lawryne Maslowska – Culture and Heritage Award

Lawryne was shortlisted for ‘Ugly & Company’, a genderless clothing brand that celebrates and uplifts black queer voices. It proposes a collection for this underserved market by creating ‘authentically genderless garments’.

Lawryne said: “I’m so, so grateful to have been shortlisted and very honoured. I’m very excited to be a part of something like this, and I’d like to express my thanks to Graduate Fashion Week for creating this event where the fashion industry can come together. I may or may not win the award, but the shortlisting in itself is a big thing for me.”

Lavinia Russo – Considered Fashion Award

Lavinia was shortlisted for ‘Analogue’, a proposed eco-minded extension for the jewellery brand ‘Angostura’. Its collection would be sourced entirely from electronic waste to meet the fashion industry’s need to become more socially responsible and environmentally aware.

Lavinia said: “In Italy, when something is unexpected, we say ‘Non ci posso credere!’. The shortlist is, for me, a gift after months of hard work, and the fact that it has been so much appreciated makes me super proud!”

Laura Ellerby, Senior Lecturer for Fashion Buying and Brand Management, said: “We are delighted to see our amazing talent shortlisted in every category we entered this year.

“Each student showed unwavering purpose in their submissions; from making luxury fashion accessible to all via a rental service, to putting female streetwear on an equal pedestal to male – and from designing aspirational jewellery from electronic waste, to giving a voice to the underrepresented.

“The breadth of these award categories – marketing, new media, considered design and culture & heritage – and the detail included within their proposals really show that the sky is the limit for our Class of 2022.”

Edwina Arthur – Footwear Award and The FACE Excellence Prize Award

Edwina was shortlisted twice for her project ‘Make A Noise’. This is a women’s footwear collection that explores black empowerment through music and culture. The shoes are constructed using algorithms that translate soundwaves from Nina Simone’s song ‘Four Women’ and fabrics with Ghanian-inspired patterns.

Edwina said: “I am honoured to be shortlisted for these awards, I feel proud and rewarded for all my hard work this year.”

Nuramira Fadzil – The FACE Excellence Prize Award

Nuramira created ‘Wearing Crafts’, a celebration of weaving culture of women in Borneo that highlights the importance of buying and wearing crafts. The resultant collection is a range of woven bags showcasing traditional weave patterns.

Nuramira said: “I am very, very thankful and honoured to have been shortlisted! I was really surprised to see the email and I am just so grateful for the opportunity and that my hard work for the past few months have made it through in the end.”

Sophie Palmer – Accessories Award and Fashion Concept Award

Sophie was shortlisted for ‘Manmade Me’, which explores machines and the human body. Her range of bags takes particular inspiration from the idea of an artificial human heart.

Sophie said: “I am very pleased to be shortlisted for two graduate fashion week awards, I am looking forward to presenting my work to panel of judges. It means a lot for something that is so close to me that I have spent a lot of time and effort on to be recognised.”

Shilah Tyrell Jackman – finalist for the Shelter x GFW Foundation competition

Shilah’s T-shirt design will be worn by GFW staff after she was selected as a finalist for the Shelter x GFW Foundation competition. Her work will be showcased at the Shelter Boutique in Coal Drops Yard for the duration of the event after she  

Shilah said: “I was surprised I won runner up. It made me believe in myself a lot more than I do!  I received the great news at a time I really needed it! I really am honoured to have a display with Shelter boutique and to have worked with the Shelter design team.”

Edwina, Ruixin, and Nuramira - who were all nominated for the FACE Excellence Prize - have also been selected to show at the Diversity and Inclusion event at the GFW Dome on Thursday 23 June.

They were chosen alongside 23 other students from other universities, and will talk to press and 120 industry guests.

In addition, three of our students - Emily Baker, Iman Afif, and Raya Totzeva - were chosen by the brand Dr Martens to have their portfolios reviewed as part of GFW's Portfolio Day on Friday 24 June.