Young experts on the BHSAD graduates collections
Friday evening in the courtyard of the Strelka Institute passed the graduation collections of graduates of the course "Design Clothing" of the British Higher School of Design. Wonderzine watched the show with three students from other departments - Fashion Business, Fashion Communications and Fashion Styling, and then asked them what the show turned out to be and how the young designers could be successful from their point of view.
Catherine Hussein
graduate fashion styling
Vera Kuzmicheva
Zalina Verkhovskaya
About the organization
The organization of the show was at a very high level. A great place in the very center of Moscow was chosen: not every great designer can dream of such a thing, what to talk about graduates. Of course, it was cramped, but it only shows the interest of others. Although I am a cavil, I liked the models, the soundtrack, and the light. The only negative point - the screen with the names of the designers was in reach only for half of those present.
About individuality and practicality
Many complex elements in the debut collection - this is normal. Novice designers say: "See how I can do it!" What is missing is color. Gray, black, blue, brown jackets and coats of various designers have merged into a single mass. Although, on the other hand, if you really want the color so much, then go to the show of Slava Zaitsev. There were no macaroni necklaces, colored paper suits and papier-mâché shoes, and that was fine. Grieved that most outfits designed for models. On girls 170 cm tall, these dresses, jackets and pants will not look. I wonder if designers can work with ordinary people.
About the best collections
I do not know any of the designers, either personally or indirectly, so I can judge objectively. I liked what Katya Mikhailova did: slim models in flying translucent dresses looked like nymphs. The show was a good styling - the right shoes, hairstyle and accessories. I would like to take a few things from Zalina Verkhovskaya for shooting, and this is for me the decisive factor when choosing "like / dislike". Kshysya Kuzmina plunged her head at the end of the 19th century and emerged from there, taking with her several beautiful dresses. It is sad that others gave a little museum mothballs. Irina Gaynullina created laconic and correct images in her irregularity. I would like to take a closer look at outfits made by Ekaterina Fedchenko.
Katerina Mikhailova
Katya Stern
About quality and design
Things were sitting fine, but many fabrics pumped up. But I hope these are financial constraints, not a matter of taste. The only advice for everyone is that you need to steam things to perfect condition. This also applies to stylists and designers. If at the shooting you can somehow hope for the help of Photoshop, then what is happening on the podium cannot be corrected.
About the style
The stylist at the show is obligatory: he should be almost the right hand of the designer. Not to impose your opinion on him, but to delicately and objectively evaluate the collection and point out errors. With the best styling, many collections could look fresher. Take the same Kshysyu Kuzmina - with a new haircut, the clothes would play in a new way. Many designers underestimate the importance of shooting a lookbook. But you can shoot a million stunning dresses, but shoot it so that no one even looks in their direction. I understand that the collections of designers are their children, and they don’t want advice and criticism from outside. But this is a harsh industry, so the experience and advice of a stylist in shooting a book will definitely not be superfluous.
Evgeny Golubev
Fashion Business graduate
Katerina Mikhailova
Katya Stern
About the organization
Controversial impression. On the one hand, the display of young graduate designers is still a big discount, on the other hand, nobody canceled the canons. Immediately it struck that the playground could not cope with the number of guests and not enough seats were available for everyone, and taking into account the temperature regime it is not very pleasant to sit close to each other. The light was very weak and set incorrectly, constantly hitting in the eyes of guests sitting in the VIP-zone. Sound and music on the level. Personally, I didn’t have enough emotional and semantic message, everything went very smoothly and modestly, but we are talking about showing young energetic guys, I wanted an explosion, a sense of challenge, dynamics. But it turned out that the guests fell into some kind of history pulled out of context, without input and logical conclusion. Of course, on trifles you can find fault with many points: and that the path in the defile zone was not glued (the models constantly stumbled), and that the heels slid over the painted coating, but these are all trifles. The main thing - the event was held, and, despite the forecasts of weather forecasters, very successfully.
About individuality and practicality
I think that, speaking about the graduation event, in principle it is impossible to talk about the collection level: it is initially stated - graduation, in other words, starting, starting, giving the right to make a big step into the world of fashion and declare itself. Therefore, from the point of view of the report on the work done and the skills acquired, all young designers coped with it, but from the position of “expressing themselves” - units. Talent is impossible to learn, it is either there, or ... you need to look. Of course, the variety of the collection did not flash, everything that was presented fully reflects the modern (albeit battered) "consumer trends." Again, individuality is the “master” category. I kind of understand the guys: it’s difficult to reinvent the wheel without having a name, it’s rather more important to show what you can be capable of, what skills you have, and I think the guys have coped with the task. Although I am extremely surprised that everyone was at about the same level, and I really wanted a provocation, at least one non-standard collection in spite of everything.
Christina Kapitanaki
Kshysya Kuzmina
About the best collections
Since, by its scenario specificity, the show was a bit impersonal, it’s hard for me to single out one person, and it’s not fair to say that the collections have sunk into my soul. Many guys had strong things: I liked a pair of dresses (one of them reflected light into the floor), three interesting overalls, two pairs of boots and, of course, a bezel with miniature faces - very cute. Therefore, as impersonal presented, so impersonal and appreciate.
About commercial success
Unfortunately, in our time, business success is less dependent on the designer. I think that with competent professional management, each of the guys presented can become a star, and we all know a lot of such stories. And yes, I think the guys are ready to create and create, the question is whether they are morally ready to sell their product: not many people have enough strength, and talent plays the smallest role here. I think you need to stock up on perseverance and believe in luck.
Of course, it is worth noting that most of the presented things are wearable, not divorced from the real world, which means that the thought about the final consumer accompanies them in the process of work. The main thing is not to cross the line from thoughtful to boring, commerce is built not only on basic things, which young McQueen showed us in due time.. You should always be able to feel the needs, the environment in which you create, only then you will have a reliable commercial symbiosis between the desire of the public and the vision of the author. However, for this, there must be a good commercial partner next to the creator, whom I wish for the guys.
I would advise designers to observe more people, listen to them, analyze what they want to become, how to look, etc. This information itself will push the guys to a more successful product. People are the most valuable. And what does man value above all? This is a combination of aesthetics and comfort, which I could not see in many models of the show. And, of course, as a logical continuation, this is a choice of fabrics: if you want to sell expensively and well, use good material. There were a couple of images that were very losing only because of the not very well chosen texture of the fabric. And of course, more fresh ideas! It's time to drive out of the head heavy fabrics, skirts to the floor and geometry - this is as old as the world. Today's graduates are the future of fashion, and I personally want a coup, a revolution, a wave of new from them. Therefore, I wish them inspiration and ease.
Olga Bolodurina
Fashion CommunicationS graduate
Tonya Vorobyova
Julia Boriskina
About the organization
This show is a step forward compared to last year. The music and the playground itself is super. There was confusion with seating VIP-guests - there were more invited than places provided for them. The organizers did well, but the crowds in front of the entrance still could not be avoided: the show was delayed due to late guests.
About the best collections
I liked Zalina Verkhovskaya, especially the trousers with pants, and Natasha Weinstock. These are commercial collections, easy to understand. Things are wearable, that is, will be sold. I would work with these girls.
On the magic of PR
Good PR can save not the best collections, what to say about successful ones. A competent PR specialist knows who to show the collection to and how best to present it - this is very important! It is always difficult to find a good PR manager, and this requires monetary influences, but we learned it together to be useful and accessible to each other. We are open to cooperation!
About individuality
There is a lot of futurism in the collections, designers didn’t have enough courage to create individual images. Academic collections have turned out, but this is not surprising - here you can read the influence of curators. The “British” is as follows: curators are almost co-authors of collections. My wish is to work more with color, and not to be afraid to work with simple forms. Being close to a potential buyer is the most important thing.
cover photo: Alice Donova