LCF are extremely proud to announce that three of our graduates have recently been featured in Wallpaper's Graduate Directory 2020. We caught up with Xiaotu Tang from MA Fashion Artefact, Camila Fukumothi from BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear and Natalie Rushton from MA Fashion Design Technology: Menswear, to hear about their time after graduation and their hopes for the future.
Collections by Camila Fukumothi
Congratulations on being featured in Wallpaper’s Graduate Directory 2020! How does it feel to have your work featured in such a recognised publication?
X: I am very happy that my work has been featured in Wallpaper. I hope people can look into my collection and see that I am essentially trying to deliver a commentary on the current environmental issues in my designs.
N: Thank you so much! I'm speechless with emotion, so honoured and grateful. I would like to thank everyone who supported me through the collection production process.
My collection concept is about a healing journey of my childhood, so being recognised on such scale is like my inner child being hugged by others to accept who I am.
C: It was certainly an amazing way to start 2020. After a stressful final year, being published in such an influential magazine made me feel that all my hard work had paid off! I also felt so honored to be included in the list of talented designers from all over the globe representing the future of fashion. Wallpaper is absolutely one of my favorite magazines, a source of inspiration for someone like me who is particularly interested in architectural fashion and I like to think that those connections are very much notable on my designs.
What have you been up to since graduating?
X: After my graduation, I went back to China and made a start at setting up my own business, a fashion jewellery brand named SUSI SOMOS.
C: One week after my graduation I went back to Ralph & Russo an Haute Couture brand where I have been working since the end of 2016 as an Atelier Assistant/ Hand-worker and then Assistant Pattern Cutter. I'm now starting to develop my graduate collection translating my conceptual 'BOX' collection into ready-to-wear.
Collections by Natalie Rushton
What are your plans for the near future?
X: My plan is just to keep working on the fashion jewellery brand. Keep employing sustainable thinking in my design and hopefully launch my new collection in London soon.
N: I don't know what the future holds but I will keep going!
C: My plans for 2020 is to draft a business plan for a multidisciplinary design studio with a super talented friend that I crossed paths with at LCF Curtain Road. Creating a new brand has been incredible exciting for us but it comes with many risks, so we want to create and conceptualize carefully this idea.
Artefacts by Xiaotu Tang
What are your 3 top tips for students at LCF?
X: Use all resources and facilities in college effectively, it can help a lot with your design. Discovering yourself and what you want to do. Not only in college, but also in your personal life. Enjoy and have fun.
N: Don't be afraid of making mistakes. The LCF library is a treasure house so make the most of it to expand your ideas and most importantly, believe in yourself.
C: Don't take criticisms too personally (sometimes criticism opens doors for new directions). Don't procrastinate (start your projects as soon as possible) and meet people, communicate and don't be afraid to ask for help.
- Find out more about MA Fashion Artefact, MA Fashion Design Tecnology Menswear and BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear.
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