As the famous tennis tournament enthralls the game lovers, garments by Kingston University fashion students are making waves across south west London.
There has been a tennis-themed parade through the streets of Wimbledon Village,
a catwalk show at Kingston's Bentalls department store, garments modeled in shop
windows, a local pub and even on horseback.
The Wimbledon public weren't the only ones given the chance to see the BA(Hons) fashion students' work up close however as shoppers in Kingston were
treated to a live catwalk show of 18 designers' looks through several floors of
the town's Bentalls store.
The two fashion events proved a fitting showcase for the final year collections created by the University's talented young designers following their
involvement in this year's Graduate Fashion Week, as Kingston University's
Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture prepares to return to its original name
of Kingston School of Art.
Over at Bentalls in Kingston, models travelled up and down the escalators and wowed shoppers as they paraded around several floors in two catwalk shows that
showed off the work of the Kingston University final year BA(Hons) Fashion
students. Other garments were also displayed on mannequins in both the menswear
and womenswear departments.
Rebecca Holmes, who has just won the Pitti Filati international award in Florence, showcased her knitwear collection in the designer section of the
store, having been employed by Bentalls during her course.
The exhibition and catwalk event was the culmination of Bentalls' sponsorship of the University's involvement in this year's Graduate Fashion Week, as the
store celebrates its 150th anniversary this summer.
In Wimbledon Village, Shannon Brown's collection of corsets and skirts in tones of grey and accents of lime - in patterns reminiscent of peeling wallpaper
- brought a decadent twist to the humble tennis ball as part of the annual
Wimbledon Village Windows competition. Natasha Patient's curtain-inspired
opulent, oversized lilac skirts and tassels were also modelled on horseback
outside Wimbledon Village Stables as part of the event, officially supported by
tournament hosts the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
The Championships hold special significance for Natasha's family, so it was a particular thrill for her work to be involved in the build-up, the young
designer explained. "My father Steve played in the veterans' championships a few
years ago when he was with the Devon County Club and I play doubles myself. It
really has been amazing to be part of this event - to see models wearing my
garments on horseback and posing with racquets in the village's shop windows,"
she said.
In further homage to tournament traditions, Leanne Lu and Kezia Byass styled their contemporary red dresses and corsets in the windows of König Kitchens
against a white backdrop complete with cascading strawberries - celebrating the
custom that sees some 23 tonnes of the summer fruit and 7,000 litres of cream
consumed at Wimbledon every year.
Showcasing some of the students' designs during one of the capital's summer highlights was a great way to get the annual window competition underway,
according to WV Events organiser Kimberley Salmassian. "The Championships
inspire such a sense of community spirit and it's been brilliant to involve some
of the incredible dresses created by the University's designers in our
celebrations ahead of this year's tournament," she said.
Customers were also given the opportunity to meet the designers and ask them about their work in an in-store question and answer session focusing on the
diversity and relevance of fashion today, hosted by industry commentator and
Kingston alumna Caryn Franklin.
Matt Geal, store director of Bentalls Kingston, said the partnership had been a terrific experience for both the store and its customers. "It has been a real
privilege for us to support such an iconic part of Kingston's heritage and
celebrate the University's upcoming fashion talent. It was a pleasure to see how
our customers responded to the collections and to give them the chance to speak
with these talented young designers as they prepare for their future in the
industry," he said.
Kingston University's head of fashion Elinor Renfrew said the events in Wimbledon and Bentalls had been the perfect way to showcase work by some of the
globe's top young designers. "Fashion plays a huge part in Wimbledon fortnight
and is an integral part of everything Bentalls does. Providing our students with
the opportunity to share their work with the public in the heart of Kingston and
to help celebrate the start of this year's Wimbledon Championships seemed a
fitting way to mark the culmination of their studies," she said.
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