its a wrap.

the uk's graduate fashion week 2009 ended wednesday with a gold prize and all.

personally, i wouldn't mind wrapping myself and the boy in a few of these garments for all sorts of fun occasions. from chilly winter day hangout gear to afternoon tea or a night out swaying to the beats...i would love to procure some elements of these exhibitions and here are my final loves and impressions from them.

i mention the boy because it seems from this post, and much of the photos that i found (all of these come from fashion156) that menswear was a fantastic focus for quite a few of these grads. huzzah for interesting clothes for the boys.


april schmitz from uca epsom made quite a collection of futuristic streetwear ensembles and armor for the casual lady. one of the outfits has fantastic koala bear ears shoulders that could certainly pose pretty on many a shoulder of outfits. the circular cutouts and sexy silhouettes reminded me of barbarella, a favorite on my cult status movie list. the opening scene is a must-see if you don't catch my reference.

like some of the most beautiful combination thriftery i have ever seen, lucie vincie from uca epsom has constructed a fantastic multitude of menswear desires. though the boy has great taste, these silhouettes are something i would love to turn him on to. for those who know me, they know how much i hold true to solid colors -finding patterns personally difficult to please. however these ecletically satisfying patterns would be a welcome addition to my cloth rotation. vincie clearly was influenced by the current s/s 09 trend of "native" patterns and materials (perhaps the sketches were dreamed up whilst wrapped up in a navajo blanket...)

this delightfully playful mens sportswear collection from susanna mensah at uca rochester was the first to be sent for opinions across the pond to the boy in oz. an a-ok response came back. honestly, i want these pants. since we can wear the same pants, i want to share these pants. now. though i'm not thrilled with the shutter shade styling, i understand the need to appeal to a wider audience with this casual sportswear. otherwise, the cut and fit might be too much for a mainstream, shutter-shade donning public. the offer still stands though, we wear size 28 together, fyi.

on the mens side of futuristic shoulder-wear rachel lucy wakefield from the
university of salford created some gorgeous armor for the mens. yes the menfolk get some garments too with sculpted, angular he-man cartoon-like body shields. very cool. the zip-front jackets with inserts and steel colored ties make the collection appealing for everyday use.

this final set of breezy pastel beauties comes from francesca samm of nottingham trent university. this collection is the epitome of easy daywear for me. the silhouettes are simple. the styling is pared down. and the fabrics are the kind of knitwear that i would find myself grabbing off the hanger day in and night out because of the uniqueness these shifts posess for everyday and nightwear (glow in the dark details would certainly match my watch and be perfect for techno darkness). i'll take them all for layering, singular, and multi-purpose use.

wrap me up. i am interested to see where these ideas and grads go.

good luck to them.