Six Standout Looks from Central Saint Martins' Infamous First Year Show

"A tradition, a rite of passage, an initiation, perhaps even a mild baptism of fire: the Reset Show, formerly known as the White Show, returns every December for Central Saint Martins ' first-year fashion design students. The brief is straightforward: produce one complete look using only white. In recent years sustainability has entered the syllabus, with garments now constructed from recyclable white textiles that can be recut and reused for the following year's Reset Show."

"As ever, the show was creatively directed by first-year fashion image and promotion students, an exercise in cross-pathway collaboration. The theme was 'The House', a domestic framework interpreted with the usual Central Saint Martins elasticity. Guests were handed white keys on arrival, and inside the central corridor of the Granary Square campus, abstracted 'rooms' appeared: televisions, beds and sofas arranged in a way that recalled the spare theatricality of Lars von Trier's Dogville."

"Over the course of 25 minutes, students presented their looks - for most, the first time their work has been seen in a catwalk context - accompanied by the institution's trademark flair for the dramatic. There were sculptural beams dragging along the floor, papier-mâché heads inflated to yoga-ball proportions, models pushed in trolleys, bustles illuminated from within by LED lights and trains extending metres behind their wearers. Around them, students from across the university packed themselves into corners, stairwells and overhead bridges, craning for a view of whatever theatrical gesture might come next. It is, unmistakably, an experience."

Central Saint Martins first-year fashion design students take part in an annual Reset Show requiring one complete look made only from white. Garments are constructed from recyclable white textiles designed to be recut and reused for subsequent shows, reflecting a sustainability focus. One hundred and fifty-four students across womenswear, menswear, knit, print and fashion design communication participated this year. First-year fashion image and promotion students directed the show, creating cross-pathway collaboration. The theme, 'The House', was realised through domestic installations in Granary Square and a dramatic 25-minute presentation featuring sculptural, theatrical garments. Six students described personal references behind their designs.

Read at AnOther