JCA's first cohort graduates with London show

Professor Jimmy Choo’s JCA/London Fashion Academy has staged something of a landmark event, hosting its very first undergraduate show, featuring nine young designers from the Design, Branding and Entrepreneurship cohort at the Hanover Square campus in Mayfair.

It was a ‘coming of age’ moment for JCA given that the graduating cohort joined The Academy on its opening day back in September 2021 and have built their own independent brands over the past three years while training.

JCA claims to be set apart from other London fashion academies through its approach that has an equal focus on vocational design skills and business education. The aim is that the designers will have “a well-rounded skill set to thrive as a business upon graduation”.

Each designer presented the first six looks of their debut collections.

Maisy Binns showed the Moocha label that “blurs the lines between art and fashion”, something informed by her background in art and graphic design. She said “the collection sums up the key aspects of the brand moving forward, a combination of graphics, bold prints, bright colours and love and respect of nature”.

Then came Vesela Valeva, a womenswear brand by Vesela Nikolaeva Valeva that “looks to celebrate Bulgarian folklore through a contemporary style”. It has a big focus on crochet.

Meanwhile Jasmin by Jasmin Woodward was a luxe sustainable womenswear brand “inspired by ‘it’ girls and hotter climate lifestyles”. She called it “a celebration of who I was then, and who I am now”.

Nowlan by Niamh Nowlan showed us a womenswear brand “redefining British heritage luxury fashion” with a big focus on “strong, confident and powerful” women.

And 08may by Sophie Hollands unveiled unisex ready-to-wear that takes an “everybody, everyday” approach. It combines outerwear styles with relaxed tailoring elements, “an emphasis on modular garments, size adaptability and evolving sustainability efforts through slow production, materiality and conservation efforts”.

Eliz Djafer’s eponymous label gave us “a nightlife-inspired brand emphasising authenticity, inclusivity and sustainability”, with Djafer saying it’s "not just about fashion; it's a manifesto and celebration of the raw, the provocative, and the unyielding, where seductive rock intertwines with edgy confidence”.

Next, Juniper was a “socially responsible” womenswear brand by Alexis Iznyon. It’s focused on “the balance between lifestyle principles and environmental and social responsibility… a mix of subtle and elegant with simple shapes with touches of exaggerated detailing”.

Savannah Griffin offered up the “demi-couture” Cserephel label that’s “inspired by the allure of pre-war fashion and captivated by the depiction of women in Baroque and Renaissance art”. She said it’s “fashion meant to be passed down”.

And the show closed with designer Nona Cunningham’s womenswear brand, Nona Assisi with pieces all made from sustainably sourced materials.

JCA's first cohort graduates with London show

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