Fashion graduates vie for designer careers

TAMSIN BLANCHARD

The world of international fashion will be looking to the future this week as Britain's top fashion students put their work under the spotlight.

Graduate Fashion Week, which starts today at the Business Design Centre, in Islington, north London, will see more than 1,000 students from 33 colleges competing for the attention of the major design houses. In all there will be 24 catwalk shows.

For most students it is a nerve-racking time as the press and potential employers pour over their designs looking for an injection of fresh talent.

For a lucky few the pressure is all about how to enjoy themselves. Gillian Heather and Emily Harris, both 22, have the luxury of joining the design team at Sonia Rykiel in Paris at the end of the week. "There's a great respect abroad for English designers," said Heather.

The job offers came as the prizes for winning a project for students at Kingston University. "We know we can't just step out of college and start our own labels," said Harris. "You need at least four years' experience."

The students hail from a college with a commercial reputation and which recognises the value of promoting close links with the industry. Students, who regularly work 12-hour days, are encouraged to have realistic ambitions - and do not expect to become the next Vivienne Westwood's overnight.

Sandra Hill, who graduated from Kingston in 1987 and is now designer for Alberta Ferretti in Milan, met the students yesterday in her search for two recruits to join her team in Italy.

The college has a strong network of graduates working with fashion houses from New York to Milan including those of Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Esprit, MaxMara, Marks & Spencer and Yves Saint Laurent.

"The British art school system has a very high reputation within the industry," said Hill. "The students have so many ideas. They just need a commercial direction."

At Central Saint Martin's, the college that turned out John Galliano and up and coming names like Hussein Chalayan, Clements Ribeiro and Sonja Nuttall, there are also overnight success stories with four students accepting job offers at Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Anne Klein in New York, and Martin Margiela in Paris.

t The best of the week's work can be seen at the gala show on Friday. For tickets, priced pounds 15, phone 0171 288 6441.