The Winchester School of Art is proud to be one of the UK’s leading art and design institutions and part of the world-renowned University of Southampton. They are an international centre for ideas and innovation and have a long history going back almost 150 years. Ranked among the top 1% of universities worldwide*, the University of Southampton is recognised as a global centre for excellence in research and education. Their reputation, which is reflected in their UK and international league table rankings, is built on a long history of world-changing achievements. 96% of their graduates go straight into employment or further study, over 75% of which is graduate level (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, (2015/16)
Current Vision is a celebration of this year’s talent coming to fruition; a culmination of their learning and a visual presentation of each individuals journey and identity as a designer. Whilst pure form in combination with gender identity and fluidity continue to influence the face of contemporary fashion, the collections this year see a shift in mindset. The reality of the world we live in has forced designers to reflect on the environment and the sustainability of their practise, as well as their own identity.
Beauty and the aesthetic are no longer the only preoccupations of the creative mind; functionality and form, alongside sustainability and simplicity, echo throughout the collections as we move towards a new awareness in fashion design. This year, designers have been heavily influenced by the notion of being a ‘Citizen of the World’ – their individual environmental and social responsibility. In parallel with this mindset, designers have investigated and reflected upon their own personal and private worlds as well as politics, gender and society at large. Current Vision only represents a small fraction of the outstanding work produced on the BA Fashion course at WSA. Collections shown are selected for their runway presence in terms of uniqueness in design as well as material choice, silhouette and construction.
The FTD Programme at Winchester School of Art is one of the top Fashion & Textiles courses in the UK. They pride themselves on producing highly creative, skilled and hands-on design graduates suitable for a range of positions within the Fashion Industry. Every year their graduates take up roles in prestigious companies internationally and in the UK. This year’s show will present work from: Quihan Wang, Agnes Farmer, Rosie Caldwell, Amy Osgood, Grace Robin, Theresa Hackman, Rebecca Hudson, Qian Lin, Maysie Mountifield, Elizabeth Brady, Amber Davis, Ellis Chen, Chen Huang, Kayan Liu, Dzhansel Alil, Madalaine Arabbetou, Tianyi Li, Bethany Simmons, Elphi D’Mello, Isabella Journeaux and Songyi Gu
