PIC1: Looks from the RCA MA Fashion Gala 2014 graduate collections by: (left)- Faye Oakenfull, (right)-Ida Gro Christiansen. Photo:Dominic Tschudin
Before the shocking news that Professor Louise Wilson, the lightning bolt of Central Saint Martins and its fashion students, had passed away; and before Wendy Dagworthy, the head of fashion at the Royal College of Art, had decided to retire after 16 years, leaving two of the UK’s most important fashion schools rudderless – the writing was already on the studio walls.
Fashion universities in the UK are facing a crisis.
Exactly thirty years since John Galliano graduated from St Martins, the class of 2014 has left college with inventive, imaginative and intriguing work. But also with something much less palatable: a mountain of debt.
Since the law governing tuition fees and student loans changed in 2010, putting English education on a par with the established American system, it is harder than ever to imagine a Lee McQueen, a brilliant, wilful, taxi driver’s son, making it through college today.
Students across the world now find themselves dumped with crippling sums to pay off and under pressure to find a job – any job – or to take out a further loans to try to build a business.
That situation highlights the importance of the LVMH initiative that last week offered 300,000 euros to fashion prize winner Thomas Tate – and a sum of 100,000 euros each to three runners up. Other awards systems, particularly the CFDA Vogue fashion fund in the US, show how committed the fashion industry and its luxury conglomerates are to finding the talent for tomorrow. In Italy, too, Giorgio Armani, the maestro of Milan, is supporting young talent each season.
PIC 2: Designer Thomas Tait – winner of the LVMH prize of 100,000 euros
Yet for all the fortunate fashion winners, there are so many others struggling.
『Everyone seems to be masking it over – but it is a problem, we were just so lucky,』 says Dagworthy, referring to the minimal cost she faced as a fashion student at the start of her own career.
Dagworthy is the RCA’s Head of Programmes and Dean of School for womenswear and she said that she was proud at the depth of work for the final year show: the interesting fabrics, exceptional knits and exceptional menswear, under the guidance of tutors, Tristan Webber, Ike Rust, and Sarah Dallas.
Gallery 3: RCA MA 2014 Graduate Fashion Gala