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What the grown-ups were wearing at Graduate Fashion Week

— by Alyson Walsh

Ezinma Mbonu from UCA wearing a hand-embroidered Mexican dress

Over at Graduate Fashion Week, my research was firmly focused on the academics. With ace photographer Lucy Fitter in tow, the aim was not to find out what we should all be wearing next season but to discover what the lecturers could teach us. What I noticed in the style stakes was that while the students were making more of a flamboyant statement (as you do), the grown-ups were quietly going about business. Silhouettes were kept simple – in a mixture of neutrals and primary colours  – with prints, checks and surface decoration to pep things up. And every woman I spoke to was in sensible flat sandals or trainers.

Theresa Parker from UCA wearing Finery trousers that ‘fit properly.’

Head of Fashion Design Donna Ives shows us the grown-up way to wear gingham

Print designer Jo Knowles Lee in a lovely lemon top from COS

And Grace (below) is a 57-year-old mature student just about to graduate from the University of East London. Go Grace.

It’s my last day at university today, well my last day as a very-part-time lecturer – hopefully they’ll have me back on a freelance basis. Anyhow. Here I am showing off our award-winning student Miruna Manole who won the Graduate Fashion Week New Business Award:

And here’s some grown-up /GFW-inspired stuff:

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