Molly Goddard

via http://mollygoddard.com/

Molly Goddard is Central Saint Martins 2012 graduate in Knitwear, who got accepted onto the MA course by Louise Wilson. Moly, congratulations! Inspired by her baby clothes, she has presented a bright, girly, big and exciting graduate collection of oversized crinoline dresses from neon tulle and delicate crochet, her fabric manipulations were fantastic. We wish her good luck with her MA course and would like to thank her for a great interview.

  Was it hard for you to get into CSM? What was your background and journey to BA?
It was hard because so many people apply, you have to think ahead, I was determined to get into the fashion pathway on foundation so that I would stand a better chance of getting onto the BA. I knew nothing of knitwear though, until Willie Walters suggested I gear my portfolio towards the course rather than Womenswear. It was good advice, although I am still not the biggest fan of knitting I love the freedom that comes with making your own fabric

 Describe your final year? What was the hardest?
Constant stress and hard work. But the course is structured well so time was not too much of an issue, the hardest thing was organising myself and the people helping me and attempting to shut off to go to sleep or have some free time; which I think is really important.

 If you could do the final year again, what would you do differently?

Plan all the things that I needed to do once I had finished, like having a good website, being ready to send things off for shoots etc. I was expecting a break after I finished but have been almost as busy the whole time. Also I think sticking to your initial ideas and working in uni around people and tutors really helps because I started to go very blind to what I was doing.

Tell us about your final collection (inspiration, techniques  you have used, difficulties and struggles…)
My research was a mess at the beginning, nobody could understand what I was interested in or trying to achieve. So I started to work out what the main part of my sketch/research books was, and realised a lot of what I liked was based on things I had loved since I was a child and related to my childhood. I did not want to be nostalgic but quite simply looked at how my old baby clothes were made and worked from there. Looking at smocking and embroidery and odd shaped tops and pants; made to fit over nappies.

How did you choose your soundtrack and why?

Choosing a song was hard, I wanted it to clash with the clothes because the collection turned out so girlie in the end and any kind of soft music with it would have made the whole thing rubbish. I just wanted it to be fun and something that would wake me up, and I have always loved Soca so I chose a good soca song that the models would be able to walk to.

What is your most precious memory from the time in CSM?

Having a gossip with the tutors and technicians and salad boxes in the canteen. And my MA interview.

Everyone tells how competitive CSM students are. Do you agree with it and how was it to study in your class?

No, I never found it too competitive, I didnt want people to see my work but more because I wanted everything to be a surprise at the end for everyone. Also everyone in my class worked very differently and a lot of people worked from home, I think knit is different to the other path ways in that sense.

 What was the best advice you got in CSM from the tutors?

BIGGER

Did you do any internships? If yes, than please describe your experience. What were the most valuable lessons you got? What do you think is crucial for a fashion student to know when he is applying for a dream placement?

In my placement year I worked at John Galliano in Paris, it was hard work but exciting, living and working in a new country means you get fully involved in the work. I worked with quite a few other students as well which made it fun. We were thrown straight into it, which meant I learnt loads, especially from the incredible atelier, who were very patient and caring. The research trips the designers did were always fascinating and dressing a couture show was a highlight.
I also worked for Meadham Kirchhoff, whose designs I have always loved. Working for designers whose style and taste you admire adds another level to the placement, the studio was an small, intense environment to work in which was a good contrast to Galliano where there are so many designers and different elements to the company, that it was easy to lose track of which collection you were working on.

 Can you give one advice to first, second and final years.
1st – Build a good relationship with tutors and technicians and go out a lot.

2nd – Do a placement year and try and go to Paris.

3rd – Start working hard in September and never stop researching.

What is next? 
I am working on various projects this summer and then starting the MA.http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/new-kids-on-the-fashion-block-7857146.html

Research images via Molly’s blog http://mollygoddard.blogspot.co.uk/

Maia Bergman

Maia Bergman is the hottest Central Saint Martins graduate from Fashion Print pathway, who has successfully presented her final collection, which shimmered with beautiful whites, real flesh and pastel colours. Maia used plain and see through fabrics, and turned them into precious textiles by spilling the shiny cheerful beads all over. The collection was a success and a true bead miracle! Originally from Argentina, Bergman has not only produced an exciting collection with beautiful and desired clothes, but actually showed how girly cuteness can easily flow into hot sexiness.

SUMMARY: Girls want to wear Maia’s designs. Boys want the girls in them…Though at CSM, some boys want these clothes without the girls. Either way, that’s all that matters. Hotness, Desire, Sex…Maia, we got the message!

1Granary would like to congratulate Maia Bergman with becoming a 2012 Central Saint Martins graduate and thanks for the interview and all the fun and sex delivered onto the runway of the Final Show.

Tell us about your background and how did you get into Central Saint Martins?

I was applying to Parsons in New York, but one day I woke up from a dream, thinking that I should try to apply to Central Saint Martins instead. It felt like something impossible back then. But I just applied and tried my luck, got into Foundation course, then the BA…

How old were you when you decided to become a fashion designer?

Still thinking about it.

Did you dress up Barbies when you were a kid?

I actually used to draw my own “barbies” because they only came with one outfit. I mean, Barbie can’t go for brunch with the parents in her cheerleader outfit…

Describe these past three years at CSM?

The best, so much fun. It is very important not to listen to anyone else but yourself, and genuinely believe in yourself. To have discipline in working hard and going out as much. Also, not to take clothes too seriously…

 What do you find fascinating in school and what frustrates you?

The canteen. That whole american high school vibe with the trays and tables I find funny, but we don’t have the popular kids, or the geeks, or the eco warriors……just all freaks. In the best possible way of course!

I find frustrating all the attempts of the new technology in the building: the photocopy machines, the barrier to get in, the cards to open doors, the e-store to buy print supplies, etc etc. Just no.

“… we don’t have the popular kids, or the geeks, or the eco warriors……just all freaks.”

Tell us about your final collection.

I really like beads. When I first sat down to think about the collection, I didn’t know what I wanted, but I knew exactly what I did not want: no black, no tomboy, no linings, no screen printing.Photography: Sabine Le Marchand
Styling: Lucila Meller
Hair & Make up: Hannah Lonergan
Model: Agathe Chapman @ Storm

Why plastic beads?

Cheap glamour is irresistible.

“Cheap glamour is irresistible.”

How did you avoid black?

 M.: I got really into pink. It took me a while, but the shortcut, I guess, is to watch Clueless and Legally Blonde several times, that should do.

What’s the playlist that your perfect girl listens to?

My Bloody Valentine, Jesus & Mary Chain, Nicki Minaj…..happy grunge and catchy plastic pink stuff.

Do you think it is possible for the fashion students to date during the final year?

Haha. I guess it is if you are organized enough…and if not too.

1 Granary for I-D Magazine: Backstage of the Final Graduate BA Show 2012

As you all know by now, I-D has published the backstage photoshoot of the Final Graduate Show by 1Granary. We are proud and honoured. And would like to  present to your attention the FULL photoshoot.

Photographer: Kirill Kuletski

Art direction: Olga Kuryshchuk

Interview Photoshoot: Backstage

 Photographer – Nikolay Biryukov  / Make Up & Hair – Marina Keri / Style/Production – Olga Kuryshchuk /  Models – Dasha Z @ Storm / Liza @ Premier

CSM BA Show 2012: Backstage, part 2

Rehearsal

Anne Karine Thorbjørnsen

What does fashion personally mean to you?

What I am interested in is working creatively in a process expressing a point of view or a vision that will be worn on a body. I find the interaction of cloth and body interesting. 

Tell us about your collection. 

In my collection I have been working around the ideas of ‘hang’, ‘falling off’, ‘sitting on top’, ‘dragging’. It is basically lengths of fabric draped onto a background, making them look random as they’ve been thrown onto the t-shirts and jumpers underneath, but still keeping an elegant feel to it. It’s been a quite abstract approach throughout, where the research started with London landscapes and detail shots of the city, a lot of plastic bags and forgotten tarpaulin, which lead me to look at the works of Karla Black and Angela de la Cruz. 

How did you end up at CSM’s MA course?

I did my BA at CSM as well and decided to go for the MA. I needed an overall fine tuning.

 Did you always wanted to do fashion design?

No, it was a decision I made much later, when I was 19 or 20, something that grew on me. It felt like the right thing to do at that point, and it still does.

Tell us about your time on MA. What was the most fun and what was the most difficult?

The MA course has been a great lesson. It has been a roller coaster of emotions and obstacles and adrenalin and the best times has been when you’ve finally overcome those obstacles ,when you’ve manage to put out what’s in your head and body and made someone else see it, and that it actually works.

 In your opinion, what skills you need to be fit for MA: technical, pattern cutting, organizational, thick skin or easy attitude? 

This is so individual, we are so many different people at the MA course with completely different skills and personalities and I think that’s the greatness of it. You have to want it though, that’s important. And it will be much harder if you have no knowledge in pattern cutting and sewing, it does restrict your design process I think, not having the knowledge. But as long as you want it enough you’ll get it out there anyway, somehow.

What is the most valuable lesson you learnt from Louise Wilson?

To be true to myself.

What would you recommend to BA students who wants to apply for MA course?

Don’t expect it to be anything like you’ve experienced before. The expectation towards you and your work are enormous. Which is great. Listen to the advice given, always try it out, but always listen to yourself as well. Be brave. Try and fail and succeed. Be yourself. 

Did you do any internships or work in the industry before? If you have, tell us more about your experiences.

I did an internship for a trend forecasting years ago and during my BA i interned for Meadham Kirchhoff. I think it is important to have been in the industry, and to have worked for different designers\houses, good thing to do while you’re studying since you very rarely get paid.  I very much enjoyed working for a smaller company where you get much more responsibility and get to do a variety of things. 

Would you like to start up your own label or would you prefer to work for another company.

We’ll see where things lead. 

What’s for the future? 

The road gets made while walking it. 😉

Central Saint Martins MA backstage

One month ago, Central Saint Martins MA show was one hell of a buzz at the London Fashion Week. On 17th of February at the Somerset House,  fashion enthusiasts, stylists, CSM fashion students, Hilary Alexander from Telegraph and Tim Blanks from Style.com along with countless press, celebrities like Zaha Hadid, designers/csm alumni such as Gareth Pugh and Christopher Kane, the fairy godmother of fashion designers – Joan Burstein accompanied by her son Simon (Brown’s CEO), CSM tutors and friends and family of the now MA graduates had gathered round the catwalk, like the butterflies round the lightbulb, to see the show. But what was happening behind the scenes? Check out the pictures below.

Photographer: Jjason Li