The occasion began with an awards ceremony on June 10, where winners across eight categories, including Accessories, Fashion Illustration, and Fashion Innovation, were announced by Graduate Fashion Foundation ambassador Isabella Silvers.
Holly Evans from the Arts University Bournemouth won the Fashion Illustrator Award, while Stephanie Daley from Nottingham Trent University received the Accessories Award supported by YKK. The Dame Zandra Rhodes Fashion Textiles Award went to Nottingham Trent University knitwear designer Aiden Davey, who created a line encouraging young people to feel socially confident rather than smoke.
Other notable winners included Mahalia Ellis from Birmingham City University, who received the Face Excellence Prize; Nova Hammon-Hagan from the University of the West England, who won the Culture and Heritage Award in Design; and Kingston University’s Guessie O’Connor, who received the same award for Non-Design. Charlotte Butler from Birmingham City University was awarded the New Business Award.
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De Montfort University graduate Kira Uddin was honored with the Fashion Innovation Award for her menswear collection titled ‘Fake It Till You Make It,’ showcasing different interpretations of the ‘London Man.’
Additional winners from various institutions were also celebrated, including Vanessa Amofa Baah of Birmingham City University, Shaojing Zhu of the University of Derby, Mai Le Lan Y of Liverpool John Moores University, Charlotte Makinson of Sheffield Hallam University, and Bridget Calthrop of Nottingham Trent University.
A selection of designs from these winners will be featured at the upcoming ‘Best of GFW24’ event on June 13, where the overall Gold, Silver, and Bronze Catwalk Award winners will be announced.
The final shows, part of the Kornit Digital Catwalk, also presented their series of competition winners. The Gold Award was awarded to Alfie Stevens, Natasha Owen took home the Silver Award, and Rosie Brown received the Bronze Award.
Graduate Fashion Week continues to be a platform celebrating the creativity and innovation of emerging designers, offering them recognition and the opportunity to showcase their work on an international stage.