MA Fashion Show 2025

Petra Fagerstrom, RECOLLECTION//404
@petrafagerstrom
The Alexander McQueen Scholarship, supported by the Swedish Fashion Council

"This collection explores the creation of false memories, imagining how AI might recall this time in a future altered by technology. A distorted recollection of the present, it critiques fashion’s paradoxical obsession with the past. Rather than evoking nostalgia, it fragments contemporary tendencies—shaped by technological interference and regressing cultural narratives.

Responding to the current rise of conservatism and the “trad-wife” movement, silhouettes reference 40s and 50s domestic and conservative dress codes, particularly those of Dior and Chanel. These codes are subverted through the concept of a glitch, distorting ideals of purity, cleanliness, and passivity to embrace autonomy and resistance. AI errors are used to inform the garment construction leading to double front jackets worn open and a bomber cape with “trompe-l’oeil” sleeve construction.

Lenticular, hand-pleated digital prints create animations of vanishing garments and running legs. Developed using the CLO 3D avatar, these elements reinforce fashion’s hyper-digitalization, balancing the synthetic with the handmade. As the wearer moves, the animations mimic the distortion of time in memory—where the legs appear to be running while the wearer is walking. The vanishing garments represent how shame often manifests in dreams as public nudity. With shame deeply embedded in “purity culture,” the collection seeks to reclaim shamelessness.

Through its reaction to the present, Recollection//404 envisions a future where fashion does not merely recreate the past but questions it and reprograms it—turning the act of remembering into a vessel for critique and transformation."

WILLIAM PALMER
@williampalmer_uk
British Fashion Council MA Scholarship

"The collection is a playful exploration of British masculinity, using humour and satire to challenge its traditional, hyper-masculine stereotypes. Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, it reflects the pressures of being surrounded by aggressive displays of masculinity and the emotional toll they take. The turning point for this exploration came after my return to London from Paris, where the reality of a working a minimum-wage job and the societal pressure to earn and "prove worth" led to a deeper reflection on the rigid "breadwinner wage" concept—where a man's value is tied to his financial success. This idea is humorously subverted in the collection with the introduction of a loaf of bread duffle bag, symbolising both the notion of breadwinning and the greedy, capitalist nature that dominates modern society. The bite marks scattered across the clothing echo the idea of consuming and taking from others, while also embracing imperfections in a world obsessed with perfection.

A parallel is drawn with adolescence, particularly through the use of the "wedgie"—a playful, childhood ritual that often signals dominance in a group of boys. This was translated into the collection via the underwear-hoodie hybrid pieces, merging childhood playfulness with adult masculinity, reflecting how early experiences shape adult behaviours. The rough, cheeky energy of lad culture is captured in these designs, embodying the spirit of youthful defiance while questioning the toxic traits associated with traditional masculinity. By incorporating this childlike quality, the collection also serves as a critique of the pressure on men to conform to rigid norms, while proposing a more inclusive and expressive version of masculinity—one that allows for emotional vulnerability, imperfection, and a break from the expectations set by society."

Supported by Cloudwool, Orta, Thomas Mason (Albini group), Ventile.