Early 2010 was your last chance to see the Future Fashion Now exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum and what a brilliant show it was too. The display closes on the 31st January 2010, having successfully ran from 22nd May 2009 with some of the most interesting fashion designs you’re likely to see this side of a futuristic movie sci-fi movie with very good taste.
Apparently, over 3000 new designers enter the London fashion industry every year, so to be among the few to be on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum at the moment must be a pretty big deal for the lucky designers from the Royal College of Art. There’s a rich variety to those have been included with everything from flamboyantly structured dresses to killer shoes and they’ve all be designed and created by the College’s talented fashion students.
The display of new designs chosen from the work of the college’s 2008 graduates includes some genuinely iconic productions, including Holly Cowan’s sculptural bag (pictured above) with it’s sleek style, glossy finish and large expanses. With its futuristic lines and contemporary feel, the bag was chiselled into shape using digital manipulation of a handmade foam and plaster model.
The bag exemplifies the genuine attention to detail, quality and design innovations of the graduates, as well as the teaching excellence that sits behind them at the College. The work that goes into a lot of the pieces at the museum is too much for our tiny little mind to get around, but it was impressive to see the results on show in the exhibition.
Amy’s work isn’t alone though. Other graduate designers like Lisa Hjelm (see dress, right) and Léa Carreño have also pushed the boundaries of excellence before they even set food outside the Royal College of Art’s big double doors. Lisa’s dress has some pointed symmetry, while also retaining a certain chic simplicity, despite the high impact look it has. With such a good display from the 2008 grads, the ’09 crew have got a lot to live up to.
Future Fashion Now exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum review: 4.1/5
