Conversation was passionate and the thermostat was high at the private view for the School of Media & Communication. 226 students over 14 courses had their work on show at the Londonewcastle Project Space.

Images seemed to be on every surface, in an expansive range of formats; projections for Fashion Photography, digital display and a wall stand for Journalism, and open screening rooms for Public Relations and Broadcast.

Bonnie Chai was the only student from BA (Hons) Costume for Performance to have her work, a sweeping white gown hung from the ceiling, physically present.

“This is one of two costumes I did for my final year project, a contemporary dance video. The costumes are based on the dancer’s move from Jordan to London. I call the first piece the barrier stage because it’s about her confronting new cultural and language barriers.”

Confrontation of society played a part in Zuice’s (Ching Lau’s) photographs of the “second rich generation” or Fù èr dài, youth from affluent families growing up in Hong Kong.

“People label them as only knowing how to play and enjoy a posh life. I wanted to express that there’s more to them, they have their own pressures and are hungry for love. No matter what your social status, people want love.”

Claire Green from BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism (Print) celebrated print in a time where technology can take over.

“I created a literary journal called The Book of Hours which is essentially a celebration of print publication,” said Green. “The internet and technology are really changing the way we read and view paperback books. Even though I think we should embrace technology, we shouldn’t forget where literature came from.”

Both Sarah Lyon, BA (Hons) Make-up and Prosthetics For Performance, and Elise Pellican, BA (Hons) Fashion Illustration, relied more heavily on pure visual aesthetic to identify their work.

“My images are based on the darker side of Fables comics and Brothers Grimm fairy tales, the more you look into them the more you find a morbid edge to stories that are quite sweet,” Lyon said. “The first is Beauty and the Beast, with the Beast being a metaphor for violence rather than a physical thing.”

“I was looking at traditional Parisian set design of haute couture shows and their grandeur and lavishness,” said Pellican in reference to her three dimensional illustrations. “In my dissertation I considered whether couture is going to die out and the need for it in modern day, addressing the fact that couture isn’t just about the garment but also about showmanship and what it exudes. I think my work says that there’s still a place for haute couture in our society.”

The common denominator for all the graduates seemed to be an impressive talent for devoting oneself to a subject and creating a stimulating representation for others.

• Words by Nathanael Jihiri, BA (Hons) Creative Direction for Fashion
• Images by Laura Borges-Ribeiro, BA (Hons) Fashion Photography