In preparation for Graduate Fashion Week, we catch up with FAD Competition Finalist Bryony Selway at her Salon presentation – the culmination of three years of hard work. Bryony is graduating from BA Fashion Atelier at UCA Rochester.
How did the FAD Competition help you with your graduate collection?
I saw my pieces for the FAD Competition as a pre-collection. A few garments have made it into my graduate collection. The Competition itself prepared me for the sheer emotion you feel when you see your garments on the runway – it happened again earlier during the rehearsal; I welled up as I saw my work on the catwalk. The whole experience has given me such a huge confidence boost, and I feel my work has become so much better after it.
Tell us a little bit about your graduate collection.
This collection stemmed from my dissertation on the “Myth of the Tortured Artist” in which I looked at Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and its film adaptation in the 50s. At that time the movie explored all things taboo and this collection embodies that by using colours that don’t go together but I personally think they do. In this collection what is wrong is right.
What advice would you give to future fashion students?
Don’t worry about your social life, you can have fun after all the hard work! It’s definitely worth keeping your head down. Like today, as I see my collection on the catwalk, it’s so worth it.
What’s next?
I’m looking forward to partying and celebrating after all that work!
