An industry expert jury (hailing from foundations, fashion brands and media outlets, including 1 Granary itself) allotted awards – which, in turn, supported graduates with grants, mentorships, exposure or deals for capsule collections or pop-up stores. Some graduates worked with wax and silver jewellery, others used colourful pleats or flowy tonal silk. Their varying collections also spotlighted the different profiles expected of fashion’s future designers and creative directors: storytellers, technical innovators, trend forecasters, artists, artisans.
Yabin Chen’s collection, for example, questioned patriarchal wedding rituals from her hometown, intertwining elements “from traditional Chinese clothing,” with zippers and buttons, to symbolise a woman’s bodily ownership. Knitwear designer Léanne Claude collaborated with local spinning mills and artisans to spotlight the supply chain behind a knitted garment, whereas Xavier Weber experimented with next-gen materials, creating fabric out of rolling paper, silk and bioplastic.