Feminism plays a part in Ngoni’s final collection for Graduate Fashion Week

With Graduate Fashion Week merely days away, we are featuring some of our students who will be showcasing their collections on the catwalk.

Today, final year Fashion student Ngoni Chikwenengere explains how feminism played a big part when designing her collection: “The inspiration from my collection came from architectural shapes and the idea that feminism and femininity are not mutually exclusive. There is a lot of talk about what feminism is and isn’t and I wanted to show that you can be feminine whilst being a feminist and that is what I tried to echo in my collection.

I was lucky to win the Curriers Award which means I was able to source and buy amazing leathers and suedes. I love working with leather because so it is so versatile and its uses are so diverse; this was something I realised on my trip to source leather in Paris at Premiere Vision. Leather also works perfectly with my concept as I juxtaposed it with softer and more feminine materials like silk, wool cashmere and silk jersey.

I can’t say who I would love to wear my garments as I want all women to find pieces they love within my collection and that work for them – for the more adventurous woman I have bold jackets in sculpted leather and for the laid back dresser, I have the loveliest silk jersey top and a wool cashmere coat.

When it came to choosing the right university, I had a look at a variety, but they either didn’t have good studio space, were too packed or there wasn’t enough tutorial time with the tutors. I decided on the University of Northampton, and having done the Art Foundation course, I knew I’d have ample space, great equipment and also helpful staff.

Having done work placements, projects and internships with so many great brands, my goal now is to get a design job and work for several years and then hopefully helm a brand with a similar design philosophy to me or to start my own.”

Find out more about the students involved with Graduate Fashion Week.