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Central Saint Martins Snapshot blog

Icon: graduate round-up features a host of CSM names

Six of the fifteen graduates in Icon’s feature on names to watch are CSM alumni. Extra respect to MA Textile Futures who can even boast of two ex-students: Amy Pliszka and Priyanka Gaitonde.

We wish them all great success!

Visit the MA Textile Futures course page

Jesús Madriñán (MA Photography) success at IPA World Photography Awards

Congratulations to Jesús Madriñán who’s won second place in ‘Non-Professional, Portrait’ in this year’s IPA World Photography Awards.

Visit:
- The MA Photography course page
- IPA World Photography Awards website
- See more of Jesús Madriñán’s work

MA Textile Futures graduates selected for ‘i FABRIC’ at Audax Textile Museum

Seven MA Textile Futures graduates have been selected for the upcoming exhibition, I FABRIC. EUROPEAN TALENT, at the Audax Textile Museum, Tilburg, which runs from 24 September 2011 to 29 January 2012. They are:

Natsai A. Chieza
Berit Greinke
Siwen Huang
Laura Martinez
Elaine Ng Yan Ling
Marin Sawa
Elise Strozyk

The i FABRIC. European Talent exhibition, Audax Textielmuseum Tilburg presents a young generation of highly promising designers from Europe who are active in the fields of fashion, interior textiles and design.  i FABRIC is one of the highlights of the cultural programme of the Tilburg Textiles event, which is being organized in the context of 2018 Brabant Cultural Capital of Europe.

The exhibition’s curator Suzan Rüsseler comments:

“The work with the most futuristic look is presented by students of the MA Textile Futures course at the Central St. Martins College of Art & Design in London.  In her installation Algaerium, Marin Sawa created a series of ‘living’ textiles by using light-sensitive algae that grow in unusual forms. With her project Design Fictions, Natsai A. Chieza asks critical questions about the possible cultural and environmental implications of synthetic biology and stem-cell research, while in her Techno Naturology project Elaine Ng Yan Ling investigates the function of ‘shape memory’ materials and their potential applications in architecture and interiors.”

Read the press release [Word]

CSM MA Fashion 2011 graduate Shaun Samson wins in Italy

MA Show 2011, image credit: catwalking.com

MA Show 2011, image credit: catwalking.com

Shaun Samson was awarded the coveted Collection of the Year award and €15,000 at the 10TH anniversary of the International Talent Support Prize in Trieste, Italy last weekend.

The San Diego- born designer showed a men’s knitwear collection that combined argyle knits, tartan and flannel with technical complexity and understated shapes. 

“I am so grateful to ITS and the jurors (who included Hilary Alexander, Viktor & Rolf, Antonio Berardi, Renzo Rosso and Mandi Lennard) who provided me with the foundations of which I can build my dreams on”, he said.

Shaun will be showing his collection at London Fashion Week this September with Fashion East and is developing a Womenswear line.

More:
- Vogue
- Telegraph

Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty

The Costume Institute Gala at the Metroplitan Museum in New York on Monday 2nd May 2011 launched the new exhibition, Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty.

Celebrating CSM alumnus, Alexander McQueen’s work over his tragically short, but dazzling career, the show is rich with his ideas, skills and beautiful garments. Sarah Burton (fellow CSM alumna, the Creative Director for Alexander McQueen, and designer of Kate Middleton’s wedding dress) was among those present to pay tribute to her mentor’s prodigious talent.

The Gala was co-hosted by Stella McCartney (also ex-CSM) and Colin Firth (who is an alumnus of Central Saint Martins Drama Centre).

The exhibition will run until 31st July 2011.

Visit:
- Metropolitan Museum exhibition website
- Alexander McQueen’s ‘Savage Beauty’ honoured in style (Telegraph)
- Alexander McQueen in All His Dark Glory (NYT)

CSM alumna Sarah Burton designed the royal wedding dress

Official Royal Wedding photograph by Hugo Burnand

Official Royal Wedding photograph by Hugo Burnand

So the rumour turned out to be true – Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton designed Kate Middleton’s wedding dress to much acclaim.

The bride looked elegant and regal in hand-engineered lace made by the Royal School of needlework which was used on the sleeves bodice, skirt and train. Bridesmaid, Pippa Middleton, also wore Alexander McQueen and for the evening party, Kate changed into another McQueen – white and very simple with a crystal belt.

The party wasn’t over for Sarah Burton however, as the Costume Institute Gala celebrated the opening of the new ‘Alexander McQueen – Savage Beauty’ exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York last night.

Quite a weekend for Sarah Burton and the house of Alexander McQueen.

Sarah Burton graduated from BA Fashion (Print pathway) in 1998 and went straight to Alexander McQueen where she worked very closely with him until his death last year when she took on his role of Creative Director.

More:

Golden Shears winner: CSM alumna Yingmei Quan

2011 Golden Shears winner Yingmei Quan and her winning garment

2011 Golden Shears winner Yingmei Quan and her winning garment

We’re proud of our alumna Yingmei Quan for winning the Golden Shears competition, the Oscars of the tailoring world. The biennial event seeks out the best in emerging tailoring talent, taking into account each designer’s technical skills and style.

At a catwalk show for some 350 people at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in Threadneedle Street, London, Chinese-born Yingmei Quan secured the Golden Shears trophy and £2,000. The prize at this biennial festival supports young people learning the craft of hand tailoring men’s and women’s wear.

Yingmei was one of 24 of an initial 54 entrants. She works at Welsh & Jeffries, military tailor to the Prince of Wales, based at 20 Savile Row. There were military references in her tailored women’s frockcoat in a fawn and grey fleur-de-lys patterned worsted cloth, teamed with slimline grey flannel trousers piped with the coat fabric. The coat was decorated with military-style frogging and trimmed with delicate braid usually seen only on vintage uniforms.

“It’s very hard to find these days but at Welsh & Jeffries we have the right connections,” she said. The subtle structure of the chest area was achieved through interior canvas and the horsehair that is part of the bespoke tradition.

Visit:
- BA (Honours) Fashion
- MA Fashion

CSM alumnus receives Sir Misha Black Medal

Robert Green, Professor H Kumar Vyas, Nick Rhodes and Professor Dhimant Panchal

Robert Green, Professor H Kumar Vyas, Nick Rhodes and Professor Dhimant Panchal

Professor H Kumar Vyas, Chairman, Academic Council of MAEER’s MIT Institute of Design has been awarded the Sir Misha Black Medal for Distinguished Services to Design Education. The 2011 Medal marks the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Sir Misha Black.

Only one medal is handed out across the world in a year. The medal was awarded at a special award ceremony at the Royal College of Art on 8  March, where he delivered an address on his design and education philosophy and spoke about the development of design education in India.

Through his pioneering work Kumar Vyas helped innovate a relevant Indian version of the ‘Bauhaus/Ulm’ approach to design that gradually made inroads into Indian manufacturing and production which today ranges from handcrafts to the space industry.

Professor H.Kumar Vyas was accompanied by Robert Green (UAL International Centre), Nick Rhodes (Course Director for BA Product Design and acting Course Director for MA Industrial Design) and Professor Dhimant Panchal (H.O.D. Pre Design Foundation & Director Design Center). The visit was hosted by Jonathan Barratt (Dean of Graphic & Industrial Design).

CSM BA Fine Art graduate successes

Charlie Hugall

You know we like to keep tabs on our students and are proud to relate their achievements.

BA Fine Art graduate Charlie Hugall has been named in the Guardian’s Guide (February 26) among ten of ‘The Next Generation of Studio Wizards’. Charlie, who worked with sound as a BA Fine Art student, graduated in 2009 CHECK and has since produced Florence and The Machine’s ‘You’ve Got The Love’ and worked with numerous bands and singers including Kaiser Chiefs, Crystal Fighters, Alex Winston, The Knocks, Psychologist, Jack Penate, VV Brown, G-Frsh + Tinie Tempah, The Cinematic Orchestra + Lou Rhodes.

BA Fine Art graduate Jessica Rinland’s (2010) 16mm film ‘Nulepsy’ has been chosen for the Official Competition Selection in the prestigious Ann Arbour Film Festival in Michigan, USA. One of the festival’s jurors, Steven Connolly, a CSM Fine Art graduate himself (BA 1997 and MA 2005), has six of his 16mm films included in the festival’s ‘Jurors Presentation’.

Visit:
- BA (Honours) Fine Art course page

MA Textile Futures graduate Elisa Strozyk featured in Dunhill Home exhibition

Elisa Strozyk

Elisa Strozyk

Central Saint Martins graduate Elisa Strozyk has her work in an interesting exhibition at Dunhill’s Bourdon House store in Mayfair, London.

British luxury brand Dunhill has created an exhibition called The Modern Craftsmanship that will tour its flagship Home stores around the world.

The exhibition has been curated by London-based creative agency It’s Nice That, and features work by young designers Elisa Strozyk, Max Lamb, Martin Andersen  and Richard Sweeney.

The exhibition is currently at Dunhill’s Bourdon House store in Mayfair, London. It will also tour the Home stores in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai in spring.

Go see it!

Visit
- More on this at lsnglobal.com
- MA Textile Futures course page
- It’s Nice That