BA (Hons) Fashion graduate, Amy Thomson, launched hew new collection ‘Chasin’ Dreams’ at London Fashion Week 2018
Chasin’ Dreams was shown by Fashion Scout, the UK’s largest independent showcase for both emerging and established design talent, during London Fashion Week 2018. This is Amy Thomson’s second collection as a label since debuting at Leeds Arts University’s Graduate Fashion Show, and Graduate Fashion Week 2017.
For her first solo show Amy has produced a collection inspired by youthful aspirations. Each look presents a character based on a profession seen from a child’s perspective, considering how her chosen career paths may be defined in the mind of a child without any preconceptions. She created eight complete looks that embody a magical aesthetic, bringing to life the idea of focusing on your dreams.
Image courtesy of Fashion Scout
For Chasin’ Dreams, Amy has collaborated with Headwear Designer, Katie Hamlett from Sassy Freak for complimentary pieces, whilst continuing to keep accessories, including printed scarves, motif tights and embellished handbags, a unique part of her own range.
She used a range of fabrics and textures to create the collection including silks, faux fur and leathers, and adds a three dimensional element to the pieces by adorning the garments with bows, ribbon and frills.
Talking about her collection Amy said:
“Telling a narrative and connecting with an audience is very important to myself as a designer. Chasin’ Dreams is based on real muses, real stories including my own, and there is no truer story than the one you are living.”
Image courtesy of Fashion Scout
Amy graduated from BA (Hons) Fashion in 2017, specialising in surface print and illustration. She uses fashion as a canvas for art, creating larger-than-life hand rendered illustrations and surface prints to tell a narrative. This is the first showcase of her collection since graduating only last year, an amazing achievement for an emerging designer.
Sam Hudson-Miles, Course Leader, BA(Hons) Fashion Design said:
"Our final year students are given the opportunity to present at Graduate Fashion Week, and last year, this was the launch-pad for Amy, who was put in contact with the agency Fashion Crossover. This led to some great PR coverage, and, ultimately, her debut at Fashion Scout. Being selected to show on such a high profile platform has been a great opportunity for Amy and her work to attract great media attention; Amy has already been featured in Vogue Italia, so she isn’t just a shining star on home turf!
The Fashion team are very proud of, not only Amy’s achievement, not only because Amy graduated only a few months ago, but also her commitment, as she has produced an eight-look collection in only a few weeks, whilst also working full-time to self-fund both her collection and the show. The title of her collection, ‘Chasin’ Dreams’ is testament that hard work does make dreams a reality; there are so many exciting opportunities for fashion graduates that launching a label is a real possibility."
Speaking of the opportunity, Amy told us:
“I am so overwhelmed and excited to have been given the opportunity to showcase with Fashion Scout at London Fashion week. I am very grateful to Fashion Scout for this opportunity and for the ongoing support I have had from everyone, both for myself and my brand.
I have always hoped for this and it feels so amazing to be living my dream.”
Current BA(Hons) Fashion Photography student Marta Ferenc had the opportunity to photograph Amy's show, capturing the the event both out front and backstage. Below are some of her images.
