Graduate Season Review

Every year, come early May and lasting until July’s summer days, groups of talented designers get ready to bid adieu to their fellow institutions and venture into the lion’s den that is the Fashion Industry. But before the turning of the tassel or the tossing of the caps into the air, one of the most awaited moments is the acclaimed Graduate Show; where graduating students get to showcase their thesis collections, the culmination of all their hard work, to the world. Ranging from Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion in London, to Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design in New York City. From The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp to ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem, to name a few.

Throughout history, these Universities have seen the birth of today’s most renowned international fashion designers, such as John Galliano (Central Saint Martins), Dries Van Noten (Royal Academy of Finde Arts) and Iris Van Herpen (ArtEZ University of the Arts), and continue to be incubating hubs of emerging talent, or, as we like to call them, history in the making.

As per tradition, either at Master or Undergraduate level, Class of 2023 did not disappoint and Not Just a Label, both in the virtual and physical realms, was there front row to scout it all. Without further ado, let us introduce you to our selection of jaw-dropping, eye-opening collections, our ones-to-watch, who are now part of the NJAL Community. 

Silvia Acien | Central Saint Martins

COURTESY OF SILVIA ACIEN

Maison/0 x LVMH Green Trail Award Winner Silvia Acien, whose collection “Regenerative Folklore” focused on uniting past and present, weaving together the memories and identity passed down from her Andalusian ancestors. Silvia utilized ancestral techniques and materials belonging to her village, such as esparto and cañaberas, honoring her heritage in a collection that features deep research into knitwear and sustainability. Each stitch representing a connection to her ancestors and the earth, she aims to inspire a deep appreciation for mother nature and the importance of environment preservation for future generations.

Yingying Chen | Parsons School of Design

COURTESY OF YINGYING CHEN

Yingying Chen, the talented and multifacetic designer passionate about exploring the intersection of fashion and technology. In her search for combining craftsmanship, such as knitting and silversmithing, with technological innovation, such as 3D printing and AI,  her collection “Synthos” is born, where she tells the story of a an imagined future world in which the merging of man and machine is a central tenet, symbolizing the fusion of past and future. Her work pushes the boundaries of traditional fashion, challenging our perceptions and making her part of the next generation of cutting edge fashion designers.

Philipp Kern | ArtEZ University

COURTESY OF PHILIPP KERN

Philipp Kern and his collection “Ponk”, a fabricated term to describe a kind of artificial human being who is free from karma, family influences, and does not feel the need to follow society’s history, language, concepts and values. With this fusion between the words Monk and Punk, Philipp comments on society’s need to categorize everything and on his desire to become someone free of dullness and hardness, such as Ponks, who express their unrestricted potential through their clothing. His detail-oriented collection featuring perfectly constructed leather jumpsuits alongside soft beaded pieces radiates a luminous energy while at the same time conveying feelings of rebellion, provocation and chaos.

Risto Kirjonen | Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture

COURTESY OF RISTO KIRJONEN

Helsinki-based designer Risto Kirjonen, focusing on functional contemporary fashion, merging both practicality and innovative aesthetics. His graduate collection, “Seeking for the Border”, plays on this idea of functional and non-functional clothing. The pieces are carefully handcrafted and feature elements such as carabiner clips, rope detailing, a play on proportions that make them stand out from traditional hiking attire. His distinctive approach: fashion-forward but make it functional.

Youngwon Jo | Parsons School of Design 

COURTESY OF YOUNGWON JO

Youngwon Jo aims to incorporate the aesthetics and principles of construction into wearable pieces, working at the intersection of architecture and fashion. Fascinated by the changing skylines of the cities she has lived in, Seoul and New York City, her collection “Anatomy of Structure” reimagines built environments and creates silhouettes that blur the lines between architecture and fashion. Sheer and fluid meet wire structures that guide them and form beautifully sculptured pieces. By marrying both disciplines, Youngwon creates garments that extend the boundaries of the human body and reflects the merging and clashing of her two home cities. 

Eden Tan | Central Saint Martins

COURTESY OF EDEN TAN

Eden Tan, the designer that conquered CSM with six rolls of uncut fabric. Eden’s collection titled, “On Borrowed Fabric”, featured six looks with as little intervention as possible, and all attached to a roll of uncut fabric, so as to keep the material as close as possible to its raw and original state. The designer cares deeply about the narrative behind the pieces and how they’re made, rather than how they’re worn or by who. His collection took the fashion world by surprise and shone brilliantly amid over 260 students seeing Tan take home the L’Oréal Professional Young Talent Award.

Alice Eugene Seon | Parsons School of Design

COURTESY OF ALICE EUGENE SON

Alice Eugene Son specializes in high-end womenswear and couture gowns. Her collection “Invisible Woman” is an exposé on the invisible stereotype that women’s jobs are not important, reflecting on the history of domestic chores and remembering her mother’s revelation of feeling invisible in her own household. Through silhouette research, draping techniques and her humor-infused editorial, she intends to honor and show her appreciation to all women who have felt taken advantage of by the stereotype. She liberates and empowers women by creating strong women figures who are ready to stand up for themselves.

Tim Stolte | Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp

COURTESY OF TIM STOLTE

Tim Stolte and his collection “Islands of Luxury”; which emerges from the question, “How do an object, objectophilia and objectifiction relate to each other?” and explores the objectification of women in 1950s and 1960s fashion. With his collection, Tim allows women to occupy space, through lightweight and comfortable car design-inspired shapes. Expect blown out of proportion airbags, engines and seatbelts, repurposed car advertisement slogans but also classic mid-century couture silhouette reinterpretation in a collection that embraces and extends women's bodies, enhancing their strength, beauty and self-belief.

Raystter Alves | Fashion Institute of Technology

COURTESY OF RAYSTTER ALIVES

Raystter Alves’s  collection titled, “An Homage” pays tribute to a sport which played a significant role in his life, motocross. Both Raystter’s father and brother were involved professionally in this two-wheeled world. He recalls feeling ostracized by the sport as a child, but now, after growing up, feels a renewed appreciation and honors this new perspective through his collection, incorporating elements from the sport and reimagining them into unique and fashion-forward pieces. 

Jay Zhong | University of Westminster

COURTESY OF ZHONG STUDIO

Zhong Studio is a London-based fashion brand focusing on extreme silhouettes and unusual material choices such as waste metal and plastics. Inspired by the clash of East Asian and Western influences, Zhong is fascinated by subcultures, flirts with dark influences and explores gender fluidity, pushing the limits of what is stereotypically known as masculine and feminine. His graduate collection, “The Lost City” imagines a post-apocalyptic future where warriors wage war against evil, making the need for armour and protective gear a must. Think the heroes journey, circa year 4000. 

Sustainability and craftsmanship, Sci-Fi madness, heritage, this season had it all. We see a bright future ahead in the hands of the Class of 2023, and we’re eager to see what they’ll do next.

View new graduate talent and contemporary designers in the NJAL showroom