RCA Class of 2009

RCA's MA graduate show is one of the most exciting places to discover the fashion stars of the future and Dazed Digital recently previewed the RCA's Class of 2009. The thirty six MA students, in menswear, womenswear, footwear and accessories are hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow alumni, including Ossie Clark, Philip Treacy and Christopher Bailey. More recent graduates who are making an impact on the fashion world right now include Erdem, Holly Fulton, milliners Justin Smith and Soren Bach, and most importantly for us, menswear designers Aitor Throup, James Long and Katie Eary.

The show takes place at the College in the Henry Moore Gallery on 10 June 2009 (more info here) but DD exclusively got a sneak preview of some of the newest and freshest menswear and womenswear talent that will be unleashed this year. Having only seen a few images I don't think it is fair to pass any judgement just yet (other than to say, I can't wait to see more) so here are a selection of designs alongside the graduates own words on their collections...

Alex Mattson: "This collection is my fantastical vision and of a gang called ‘The Sixth Sun’. The Sixth Sun gang is a Mexican biker gang that has reverted to ancient Mayan/Aztec beliefs and rituals after realizing that their ancestors had predicted the future."

Charlie Ross: "This collection embodies the rebirth of a destroyed civilisation - playing on the moral - 'to continue living the way we do will ultimately lead to our undoing'." All the fabrics and materials used in the collection are recycled, reclaimed, by-products or are eco-friendly.

Mason Jung: "Sartorial Burden - My inspiration is based on the antipathy towards formal wear for its fossilised forms and attributes of restricting individuality."

Jasper Sinchai Chaprajong: "This is the journey of my past-present-future of love. Ideas come from relationships, the first feeling of love and the colours associated with it, blue for man, yellow for woman, mix the two you get purple, but then what happens after love when a relationship breaks down? Is loving really that simple?"

Mathew Miller: "The collection 'Masculinity and his jovial approach to the macabre', was born, laser cut polka dot bombs, dancing skeleton pique bibs, cute cable knitted skulls, unexploded pom poms, and engineered army boy digital prints, aesthetically cute with dark undertones."

Kimchoong Wilkins: "Referencing both the anatomical drawings of Vesalius and the eroticism of Hokusai, the collection revolves around skin, sinew, muscle, and bone. It pumps sex back into a craft that has become lust-less, prompting arousal and addiction for men's knitwear by examining the relationship between seduction and repulsion."

Bronwen Marshall: "I was inspired by the horrific facial injuries of World War I, where recognisable features were distorted and made abstract. I have taken other beautiful and natural forms like horses and birds and combined their organic shapes with geometric futuristic patterning. I wanted to create a collection that captured the aggression and sadness felt by these men."

The RCA’s MA show is always packed with spectacular, individual work and the above images suggest that this trend is sure to continue this. I just cannot wait to see the complete collections in June and am a little annoyed that I can't take the afternoon off...oh well, in the meantime I will just keep re-reading the feature on DD.