Fashion graduates dream of the big time

Charlie Porter
Tuesday 3 June 2003 11.23 BST

"Twelve years ago, a fashion student from the University of Westminster won the womenswear award at the first ever graduate fashion week. Now Christopher Bailey has turned Burberry into one of the most sought after brands in the world.

Yesterday, Westminster was the first college to show at this year's graduate fashion week, which has students from across the country travelling to London to show their work, hoping to emulate Bailey's success.

There was a typical student mix of the wearable and the weird.

Sally Anne Graveling's kimono sleeve dresses had a professional touch and a strong use of colour, while Brett Shergold's bacteria prints on clinging mini-dresses were edgy but also commercial.

In contrast, Philip Normal piled on purposefully clashing layers and printed swear words in an oversize collection reminiscent of the late performance artist Leigh Bowery, and Carri Munden sent out vividly coloured club-kids who looked over-stimulated in sweaters with huge monster eyes."