Representing the creative future

The Central Saint Martins White Show Archives

The White Show: Central Saint Martins’ most anticipated production of the first term, staged by 1st year BA Fashion Communication and Promotion, featuring the designs of 1st year BA Fashion Design students. The premise is rather simple: here’s 5 meter of cheap calico and 5 meter of basic white cotton: go and create something incredibly creative.

Think white’s just ‘white’, a non-existent-colour? Nope, as anybody who has worked on this project will know, there are at least twenty different kinds, which makes it all the more easy to get into some sort of fabric-buying predicament when deciding to get some extra stuff. As Wikipedia clarifies– “Variations of white include what are commonly termed off-white colors.” Did Virgil Abloh go through the same calico torment? Are you all dreaming of a White Christmas after having gone through this project for weeks?

While we count down to tomorrow’s show at 4PM, we asked three graduates who have successfully launched their own brands after leaving CSM, to share their projects with us.

Tigran Avetisyan

“THE PROJECT WAS INSPIRED BY MY BEST FRIEND’S FATHER WHO IS A MOUNTAIN CLIMBER, AND TRADITIONAL TIBETAN VESTMENTS.”

Lowell Delaney

“I REMEMBER MAKING THE BODYSUIT OUT OF 40 PATTERN PIECES AND THINKING IS WAS A GREAT IDEA UNTIL IT CAME TO THE MAKING. ALSO JUST THE WHOLE PROJECT BEING A BIT OF A SHIT SHOW, AS NO ONE HAD ANY IDEA WHAT THE FUCK WAS ACTUALLY GOING ON!”

Henrik Vibskov

“MY WHITE PROJECT /

A SUIT AND A BLOWN UP EGG

WITH A BUILT-IN BLOWER IN A BACKPACK

I DIDN’T REALLY LIKE BEING AT CSM / ENGLAND, DIDN’T HAVE MUCH SELF CONFIDENCE BEFORE THIS PROJECT

FELT I WAS DROWNING IN A BIG CAPITAL

SO NEEDED SOMETHING TO MAKE ME SURVIVE / LIKE A LIFESAVING VEST / SO A BLOWN UP THING WAS MAYBE AN OPTION

ALSO

NEEDED SOMETHING TO IMPRESS / BIG SCALE STUFF  / BUT ALSO RELATED TO THE CLASSIC TAILORING MENSWEAR

I ENDED UP WITH MY WHITE PROJECT AT MY CRIT

EVERYBODY WAS SUDDENLY CLAPPING AND SUDDENLY I BECAME THE GUY WITH THE EGG DOWN AT THE LIBRARY / AND PEOPLE ASKED ME HOW I DID IT AND WANTED TO GO TO MY PARTY THE NEXT WEEKEND

AND SUDDENLY BRITAIN AND CSM BECAME A MUCH SMOOTHER PLACE TO BE

ONE PROJECT THAT CHANGE MY STUDIES.

(I ENDED UP DOING A BLACK VERSION OF THE SAME THAT WAS PRESENTED AT HYERES FESTIVAL.)”

The Egg in the film “The Egg” (2001)
Egg at Hyeres (2003)
Best of luck to all the 1st year students working on the White Show! For regular updates check the White Show Instagram account @martinsandco

P.S. Did you know the White Show 2011 was one of our first ever posts? Check out past coverage here: 20112012backstage 20122013