TALK TO ME LCF MA SPECIAL - RENLI SU

You might not hear anything about Renli Su, Olivia, if you only checked the LCF first London Fashion Week show in February. Discovering her in the in-house show in January, I believe her collection is the most impressive one from the whole MA course this year. I was first amazed by her styling and the collocation of the range but I love the texture of the fabrics more when the models stood still during the show. The masks, the finishing, the hand-crafted fabrics and the treat she did on different garments made her graduation standing out. Then I asked her for a studio visit after the show to look at each garment in detail and I discovered new elements that made me love the collection more. I would say checking Olivia's collection is live a little journey - from the loose-fitted silhouette to the hand-knitted masks, from the textured fabrics to hand-sewed seams, from the untrimmed edges to her own technique for creating patterns on woven fabrics. The deeper I know about the collection the more I love it. I don't really know how should I explain the technique Olivia used to create her own fabrics. Sticking part of yarn out and cutting it off, this was how a trapezoid pattern created on the huge cape. The same skill has been used to make part of a vest in see-through effect. It sounds like Kinder Surprise egg but I am sure you could find more than 3 wishes with Olivia's collection.

LET'S GET LOST - THE COLLEGE SHOP BY LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION

I don't know if you visited the LCF College shop last year when it worked as a pop-up in Carnaby Street but I did have a great experience being there. I also don't know if it is going to be an annual event but I love what LCF did for their graduates. I found some interesting pieces last year so I ran to the shop when I noticed they were coming back again this year, at the same please but biggest side, better store design and surely more designers.

TALK TO ME LCF GRADUATE SPECIAL - SEBASTIAAN PIETER GROENEN

I was very surprised when I noticed Sebastiaan Pieter Groenen's collection won the collection of the year in the LCF graduate show in June. It's not the catchiest collection and you might blind yourself with other collections applying loads and loads of colours and patterns (remember the winner last year is the vivid Nova Chiu!). Besides the ambiguous colours, the raw cuts is my favourite element in the collection. Those rough finishing are just like helping the garments for a dissection to be a better look. I love those sheer layering too. They gave a great balance to the cautious feeling which suit always projects. Ok! I will stop praising and let you read Sebastiaan's thought yourself.

TALK TO ME LCF GRADUATE SPECIAL - YIRANTIAN GUO

It's not the first time I met Yirantian Guo. I met her pieces and the mirror accessories in the Show+ing exhibition in May. I think my reason of loving the collection is the different textures of the fabrics she used which made some contrast of hard and soft feeling through the garments. I do love those huge reflection pieces. Although it's not a super unique idea, I like the cut and mode of them. I always watched Japanese cartoons with elements of the illusion and the reality and there are many designers tried this idea before. Let's see how Yirantian sees these two words.

TALK TO ME! LCF MA SPECIAL - KAY KWOK

To be honest I don't really know how to introduce Kay Kwok. We know each other from Hong Kong and I followed him after his HK graduation and kept watching him when he did some competition in HK (I was a magazine reporter at the same time.). I looked forward to this collection at the first day we landed London and I am very pleased he did a really great job! This Egypt inspired collection got loads of 'retweets' on the Weibo (Chinese twitter). I am sure you want to know more about this Hong Kong guy and it's the time for you to explore him yourself.

TALK TO ME! LCF MA SPECIAL - MAY TANG

I've met May Tang few times because of our common friend, Kay Kwok. I knew she studied in LCF but didn't know what she majors. I still remember my favourite women's collection in the press show was a lace collection inspired by spinal diseases. Those tailored laces, sharp cuts, unisex shoes and head pieces inspired me a lot! I finally found out it's May's collection when I checked the designer information. I think I shouldn't say too much about a friend's collection so just let herself tell you what she developed in this 15 months.

TALK TO ME! - ROBERT WUN

I really can't remember how did I meet Robert Wun, a London College of Fashion final year student. We got some common friends and we became facebook "friends" for ages (since 2009 I think) but the first time I met him was on my way to class in Holborn. I am always amazed to see his garments and illustrations as well as the photos he styles. I think the reason his work drives me crazy is the craftsmanship and the way he transfers silly idea to amazing pieces. I invited him to share a bit about himself few months ago for a website but it was published. However, you guys get an opportunity to be the first ones to explore this talented designer's work!

TALK TO ME! LCF MA SPECIAL - JOSEPH TURVEY

Joseph Turvey is quite different to the MA designers who I interviewed with. He is a local student and worked as an illustrator for some fashion publications before graduate. Although he didn't win the overall menswear award, he is the first graduate designer to join the LFW runway this year. I love Joseph's collection because of the wearability and the bold print which is adapted from his illustrations. His collection is what fun-loving boys wear daily and I think I can be one of them if I am in those pink outfits! The knitwear is my favourite in the collection and I don't think I have to mention how great the illustrations are.

TALK TO ME! LCF MA SPECIAL - TINA ELISABETH REITER

Tina Elisabeth Reiter is the overall winner in menswear this year. What impressed me most from the collection are the earth tone colour palette and the pleats. I was not surprised to see men in skirts (and even long kilts) now but sleeves with volumes would recall my memory of the Barbie's dress from my younger sister. Tina made some change and I think that's why I like this collection. Inspired by homelessness, the collection, THE SOUND OF HOMELESS(NESS), is a story of searching for your root in this globalised world. Getting lost, searching for my way, going back home and getting lost again are what I keep doing in these few years, have you found your which guide you to what you belong to?

TALK TO ME! LCF MA SPECIAL - CHERRY YUEN

It was quite random to meet Cherry Yuen, shoes designer from LCF. I was at the LCF MA exhibition which showcased all the work from non fashion design students and a high-heel with a streamline draping at the front kept attracting me. The intimacy is the first impression she gave me since we are form the same city, Hong Kong. This graduate collection is inspired by surrealism, referring to Meret Oppenheim's Fur Breakfast, Rene Magritte's Les Amants and Salvador Dali's Persistence Memory and bringing them to unique materials. All those shoes with feminine draping would be your dream shoes what you have searched for ages, wouldn't they?

TALK TO ME! LCF MA SPECIAL - JENNIFER MURRAY

I totally fell in love with this Jennifer Murray's graduate collection at the first sight. The pattern from embroideries, the layering, the embellishment on fur pieces and the collection idea all went deep into my heart. I've seen the real garment and I was amazed by the sophisticated finishing. If Jesus was a ringmaster in circus what would we be? Let Jennifer tell you about her version.

TALK TO ME! LCF MA SPECIAL - ARENA PAGE

I always thank London for keep bringing me loads and loads of interesting designers to my life. As I said, I was at the LCF MA show and I really wanted to talked to the graduates this year to know more about the inspiration behind their collection. So "Talk to me" here I come again!! Arena Page is a womenswear designer from LCF and her unique pattern cutting kept reminding me my favourite paper craft stuffs.

LET'S GET LOST - LCF BRINGS YOU FASHION UPCOMERS

As a LCF student, I always have to visit the John Princes Street campus for the library although it's not the campus for my course. The Fashion Space Gallery there always brings us interesting exhibitions from the industry. I love the previous Yohji Yamamoto's one, Yohji Yamamoto at work, very much and I believe the recent one will be a worth exhibition for fashion students. New Fashion: Interventions in Materials & Techniques exhibition brings you 8 new emerging designers for their creativity of materials using, visual impact and craftsmanship.

LCF MA EXHIBITION PREVIEW

I would like to thank my friend from LCF who send me the invitation for sharing the joy with me. My favourite part of the exhibition so far is the fashion artefact and the footwear design. Here are three of the graduates who impressed me most - Ana Rajcevic, Cat Potter and Cheery Yuen. I am going to make a graduate special again so I will leave the detail introduction for later.

Ana Rajcevic is not just a MA graduate but also a fashion designer and an artist who does sculptures. When I saw those piece I thought of sea creatures and the pieces were like attached on the body which made them stand out in the exhibition.

Milled wood for shoes? I've never thought about it but Cat Potter made it real.

I haven't asked Cheery about her design concept but I fell in love with those folded parts on the shoes of her collection. 

The exhibition is ready for the public from tomorrow to Friday. Don't miss out this chance to check these pieces out!! They are also showcasing work from Costume Design for Performance, Digital Fashion,  Fashion Media Production, Fashion Photography and more!

You can also check all the work online through the showtime website.

Exhibition Address: Victoria House Basement, Bloomsbury Square, London WC1B 4DA

Opening time: 12pm - 7pm

TALK TO ME! LCF GRADUATES SPECIAL - STINE RIIS

As the last one of the LCF special, I found Stine Riis,a womenswear designer. Stine would like to show her point of view of the fashion world through her collection and tell the public that fashion is not only about styling, it about the attitude. What I love Stine most is she loves to "make friends" with her clothes. It sounds weird but I am really bored with the people only buying clothes for one season and throwing them away. I love collecting clothes from season to season and mixing them together and they really become my clothes. Let's see what Stine think about the fashion world!

TALK TO ME! LCF GRADUATES SPECIAL - CHARLOTTE BARRY

As a LCF surface textiles student, Charlotte Barry concentrates on the embroideries and prints of the garments. Starting with clean silhouettes, Charlotte adapted different embroidery skills to very simple shapes. The tone on tone colour palette just makes me focus on the structure of the garments. I would say it totally is a precise collection also with luxury elements.

TALK TO ME! LCF GRADUATES SPECIAL - AUDREY HU

I am very sure the first impression is the most important in the fashion world. I don't believe a great collection has to be totally innovative but there should be some  key elements to bring your collection out. The head piece of Audrey's collection is very memorable for me and it makes this interview happen!

TALK TO ME! LCF GRADUATES SPECIAL - JAEHO CHOI

As the second issue, I found a Korean designer, Jaeho Choi. Although Jaeho just graduated from London College of Fashion, he has work with some fashion photographers and fashion designer, J.W. Anderson as an assistant. His graduate collection is about minimalist arts. Using monotone and straight lines to show the basic of the garments, Jaeho really get his own way.

TALK TO ME! LCF GRADUATES SPECIAL - HO LAM LEUNG

Besides the fashion weeks in every two seasons, the most exciting events for me are the graduation exhibition in all the fashion schools. I feel so great that I finally have a chance to visit the exhibitions of London College of Fashion (LCF) and Central St Martins (CSM). I also talked to some of the graduates and asked them to share their feeling of being a student in those amazing schools.

As the first issue, I found a Hong Konger, Leung Ho Lam. Working for Alexander Mcqueen and some Chinese compaies before, Ho Lam's collection is inspired by the movies. He applys the elements from the female characters to his own designs and create a wearable and minimal collection.