Wednesday 8 June 2011

Thurs 9th June: All Walks Beyond The Catwalk at Graduate Fashion Week







Unfortunately Ive been holed up in my studio and not able to check out any of Graduate Fashion Week this year - meaning I have missed the highlights. But from a distance I know that I would have loved to visit Caryn Franklin and Debra Bourne at their "All Walks Beyond The Catwalk" stand. Having heard their manifesto at the W Project earlier in the year I am totally signed up to the cause and eager to see the message spread wide and far.
By visiting colleges to give presentations on the ethos of the campaign, the group are tapping into the next generation to expand their perspectives and plant the seed of a revolution. Congratulations to the team for battling through to bring change in encouraging and celebrating a more diverse range of models in the fashion industry, specifically imagery. Along the wall of the GFW stand are photos from the latest campaign, "SNAPPED" shot by Rankin at London Fashion Week last September, exhibited at The National Portrait Gallery. From left to right, Kirsty wearing Alice Temperley; Natasha wearing Matthew Williamson; and 67 year old Valerie wearing Antonio Berardi. These are just a few examples of relevant representations of the female of the species, currently deemed alternative by mass market fashion industry standards. In demonstrating the ease of transferring design ideas to non-conformist templates, All Walks can inspire a new graduate talent to have great freedom in experimentation...............
To find out more about the work of All Walks head over to their site and blog.......... and be sure to see alot more of these campaigners at fashion week this season.........

(Thanks to Emily Beard for the snaps from GFW and the W Project for the portrait from the Futures Forum)

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