evening standard

Reality defeats avant-garde on student catwalk  by Becky Davies

“The final slot of this year's Graduate Fashion Week went to London's very own Westminster University.Giving each student's collection its moment on the catwalk often means these shows drag on and on, but last night the audience of friends, family and, most importantly, industry recruiters packed into Battersea Park's exhibition tent were treated to a slick, well-edited show.

Showing his support from the front row was Christopher Bailey, creative director of Burberry, whose final-year show for Westminster University won him collection of the year in 1992.

At student fashion shows practicality is not a prerequisite - and there were enough avant-garde, creative oddities not to disappoint. These included black and white Joker hats from Emma Brice, skin-tight indigo jeans with 20-inch floor skimming black leather trimming created by Jade Watts, Gemma Hall's Cruella De Vil-style monochrome fur jackets and T-shirts bearing rude slogans from Gwen Ash.