Beauty Fashion Food: Graduate Fashion Week 2013 (Part One)

Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) aims to showcase and promote employability, draw a strong fashion crowd and offer workshops. Now in its 22^nd year, a warm summer day in June called me to Earls Court 2. The much anticipated GFW, hailed as the biggest of its kind worldwide, was sponsored by George, Walmart's clothing brand. The word exciting lurches at me whilst I lunge into my bag to gently pull out my date for the day. 'Nick' is an advocate of all things artistic with a fine eye for detail, provided Nick is pointed in the right direction and not man-handled, when summoned by myself to capture the beauty of what lies ahead. Yes in a perverse manner I have a relationship with my camera, aptly named 'Nick'. A Nikon D5100 with all the extra accessory trimmings, too many to mention. Back to GFW.

I rush through registration to be ushered into the arena I have been anticipating for several weeks now. In no way am I disappointed as I prowl through the spacious aisles. It’s not long before I remember I am accompanied by Nick, take a short deep breath and say, "Let’s do this". Nick agrees.

I walk, I point, I snap, I turn, I browse, I stop, I enquire, I listen, I snap, I walk. All is going swimmingly well, until I am asked by a graduate designer what I am doing; and that I should not be taking pictures of her designs because of plagiarism. Truth be told, I had not heard that word in such a long time, school actually. I laughed so hard (inside though).

So now it’s a question: a snap with stealth, or be polite and ask? Truth be told, if you’re scared of plagiarism and you have brought your wears to GFW to exhibit, you’re in the wrong place, darling. Simples. Nick concurs. Our date interrupted at this juncture and an ever increasing awareness of feeling the need to ask when I really don’t wish to, as other photographers with their 'Nicks' are doing similar.

Here's what caught my eye:

Colchester School of Art