Royal College of Art 2012 MA show

Model on the catwalk wearing a design by Shubham Jain at last night's show Photo: Rex

One of the most hotly anticipated fashion shows taking place in the UK every year doesn't feature on the London Fashion Week schedule. Last night, the Royal College of Art showcased the talents of the 28 students graduating from its prestigious MA womenswear, menswear and knitwear courses and six further accessory designers at a glittering black tie gala held at their headquarters in the shadow of the Albert Memorial on Kensington Gore.


Packed with the cream of the fashion world, from the ex-students along to support the new generation (Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, Nina Ricci's Peter Copping, Erdem Moralioglu and milliner Philip Treacy among them); to heads of major fashion brands including Burberry, PPR and Swarovski on the lookout for the next big thing; to the future of British fashion themselves all passionately debuting the product of two years hard work under the careful stewardship of professor Wendy Dagworthy.

Models backstage at last night's show. Photo: Getty
To whoops and cheers from their classmates, a succession of slick and polished collections wove round the tables in what could have been an abridged version of London Fashion Week itself, such was the standard of talent on show.
Opening with a ghetto-glamazon jolt of rainbow-bright bedazzled tropical prints from Lorren Johnson, the bar was set high, but the hits kept on coming.
Peter Bailey's kaleidoscopic, trippy menswear collection of vivid prints and swirling colourful leather patchwork reminiscent of lava lamps impressed, as did Claire Zeng's futuristic take on minimalism and Shubham Jain's conceptual collection of vibrant twisted ropes and paint drip patterned latex.
Knitwear was well represented by Rachel Chan's geometric motif shifts which looked light as silk, and Lucy Hammonds intricate layered and draped gauzy textures, laced here and there with sparkling pailettes.


But the highlight came in a quick one-two just past the half way point with a complex and eloquent menswear collection by ex-Central Saint Martins graduate award winner, Tom Crisp, whose mash-up of distressed denim, graffitied leather, tailoring coated in copper dust and topped with khaki green parka detailing was the talk of the incumbent fashion leaders over a post-show cigarette; and Colette Vermeulen's striking summery floral tribute whose delicious palette of brights came layered, chopped, appliqued and belted into an eclectic paradise.

Models wait to go on backstage. Photo: Getty
In a year when tuition fees are set to triple, and with postgraduate students not eligible to apply for student loans, it's hard to imagine how future generations of Royal College scholars can possibly hope to match this standard. Many will have to rely on the generosity of the handful of brands including Burberry and Swarovski, who play a great part in funding student's studies and collections.
If Britain is to retain it's reputation as a hotbed for emerging talent, let us hope that more major brands take stock of where their brightest recruits hailed from and follow suit.