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9 fashion students and graduates who are killing it with their designs
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17 Jun 2022
Are you a current or prospective fashion student? The good news is that the global fashion industry is a burgeoning sector. Today, many artists and designers are making a name for themselves in the global arena, and this includes fashion students and graduates.
There’s no hard and fast rule on what’s right and wrong in fashion. Having said that, though, it’s not easy to develop bespoke fashion pieces that strike the right note with your audiences or clients. The process can also be long and stressful — it entails research and finding inspiration, to planning, drafting, and executing designs.
The results, however, can be gratifying. Seeing your work being worn by your customers or the public (or, better yet, being featured in the media), can serve as a reminder about your decision to join the industry. Working in the fashion industry entails gaining an arsenal of skills and knowledge, in addition to building connections with others in the field, such as fellow designers, models and photographers.
If you need some inspiration or are looking for fashion role models, fret not; we’ve got you covered. We’ve scoured the web to source fashion students (some of whom are international students) and fashion graduates — who are killing it with their designs.
Up-and-coming fashion students and influencers
1. Peggy Gou
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South Korean DJ Peggy Gou isn’t just an icon in electronic music — she’s also an inspiration to young designers in the fashion industry.
At 18, Gou found interest in fashion, leading to her decision to study at the London College of Fashion. Fresh out of university, Gou’s creative instincts led her to become an editor for Harper’s Bazaar Korea, shortly before she made a name for herself in the music industry.
In 2019, she launched Kirin, a streetwear label which made its debut at Paris Fashion Week, and enrolled in the London College of Fashion.
2. Chen Peng
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Male fashion designer Chen Peng grew up in Jingdezhen — China’s “Porcelain Capital”.
Fascinated by art from a young age, Chen pursued a Master’s in Menswear Fashion Design Technology at the London College of Art. During his studies, Chen drew inspiration from his thin body size, creating designs and outfits that focused on one-sized fashion. His designs are suitable for both oversized and skinny individuals.
“When I was a graduate student, the reason I studied body shape was that my good friend was very big, but my body shape was relatively thin, so it was often difficult for us to find clothes that fit our fashion aesthetics,” recalled Chen in an interview with i-D.
Graduating at the young age of 24 in 2015, Chen founded his London-based fashion brand CHENPENG, with the puffer jacket as the label’s signature. The brand produces clothes, shoes and hats stocked internationally in over 70 boutiques, retailers and department stores.
3. Naura Naryama Nayottama
Graduate Naura Naryama Nayottama’s design collection during her studies. Source: Naura Naryama Nayottama/LinkedIn
Indonesian graduate student Naura Naryama Nayottama designs products related to fashion. Some of her works were displayed at global events such as the Grand Défilé Esmod International, which showcased fashion pieces from students’ worldwide.
Nayottama has a comprehensive portfolio of experiences, designs and achievements, and has worked and interned with numerous designers throughout her studies.
She is currently pursuing a Master of Design and Applied Arts at the Institut Teknologi Bandung in Indonesia, after completing the International Diploma in Fashion/Apparel Design at ESMOD École Supérieure des Arts et techniques de la Mode in France.
4. Maya Davis
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Maya Davis, based in California, is a fashion student studying at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.
What sets the 21-year-old apart is her love for bodybuilding — she deems it her pro card. Being a fashion bodybuilder, Davis loves styling and experimenting with outfits based on her build.
5. Myung Eun Cha
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Womenswear designer Myung Eun Cha was born and raised in Anyang, South Korea. Growing up, Myung was inspired by her father’s work in the architecture industry — she found love in layering, asymmetry, variations, contrasts, and the combination of curvilinear shapes and geometric shapes.
This led her to pursue her MA in Fashion at Central Saint Martins in England, and launch her namesake label Cha Myung.
Myung’s fashion style is unique — she harmonises geometrical shapes and the natural forms of the human body to find a balance between them. Whenever Myung is outdoors, she enjoys examining the structure of buildings, sculptures, installations and garments.
6. Wen Wen Yang
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Student Wen Wen Yang studies at the Edinburgh College of Art — where she finds interest in designing menswear pieces.
She is currently shooting her designs for her graduation collection — most of which are chic, futuristic outfits with animal prints and elements.
7. Terrence Zhou
One of Zhou’s designs was posted on Instagram, and has received over 28,000 likes. Source: Terrence Zhou/Instagram
Fashion designer Terrence Zhou’s parents encouraged him to pursue a BSc in Mathematics and Engineering — simply because he was good at math. However, Zhou loved the arts. During his sophomore year, he transferred to the Parsons School of Design with a year of exchange study at Central Saint Martins to study fashion design.
Zhou wants to do more than design clothes — he wants to connect his audience with his work. His fashion pieces are edgy and sculptural — which have certainly caught the public’s attention. Zhou’s out-of-this-world designs have been featured in fashion magazines and have been worn by many celebrities.
8. Molly Martha Neill
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Molly Martha Neill is a huge LGBTQ+ advocate. Her advocacy inspires her designs — she likes to experiment with colours, genders and constructions to design playful and energetic pieces.
Hailing from London, Neill is currently pursuing her second year in BTEC Fashion at South Essex College.
9. Ming Lim
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Canadian-born, London-based student Ming Lim has achieved a lot at an early age.
Currently pursuing her fashion studies at Central Saint Martins, Lim is a young designer who suffers from dream reality confusion (DRC) disorder — a struggle to determine whether an event or experience occurred during a dream or waking state— and uses it to her advantage in the fashion industry. She turns her imagination and dreams into androgynous fashion designs that are universal, genderless and ageless.
“Sometimes I can’t differentiate my dreams from reality — whether it’s memory, or it’s real. When you’re younger, you kind of believe everything. When I was younger, I really thought pigs could fly,” said Lim in an interview with Document Journal.
