GFW 2025
News
Style and success, BSU returns victorious from GFW
Wednesday, 18 June, 2025This past weekend saw BSU Fashion Design students excel in bringing their designs to life on the catwalk as part of Graduate Fashion Week (GFW). With BSU students taking home the top spot in catwalks, winning awards, being selected by industry leaders to feature in shows, and winning design competitions, there was a lot to celebrate.
The four days of daring style and creativity celebrated contributions from over 40 university fashion courses - bringing graduates and industry leaders together to ease the transition from university into the industry.
As part of the Graduate Fashion Foundation (a charity that bridges the gap between education and employment), GFW was founded in 1991 by Jeff Banks CBE, Vanessa Denza MBE and John Walford, with 2025 marking thirty-four years of shows, exhibitions, masterclasses and workshops representing the talent of tomorrow.
Sponsored this year by Debenhams, the 500-seater GFW catwalk hosted 14 different runway shows, including BSU Fashion’s joint presentation with Arts University Bournemouth. BSU graduates eagerly anticipated the event, with five of our budding designers and one Fashion Photography student shortlisted for awards across various categories:
Fashion Design
- The Fashion Portfolio Award: George Price
- The Fashion Portfolio Award: Anna Drust
- The Considered Fashion Design Award: Alice Sismanovic
- The Considered Fashion Design Award: Lani Anthoney
- The Sportwear and Leisurewear Award: Anna Drust
- Snag Inclusive Fashion Award: Amy O'mara
- The Hilary Alexander Sustainable Trailblazer Award: Lani Anthoney
Fashion Photography
- The Fashion Photography award: Hayden Wetherell
Attending GFW, BSU Programme Leader Fashion Design Design Emma Askew-Miller reflected:
"I am extremely proud of all our graduating cohort from BA hons Fashion Design this year. Huge congratulations to all the shortlisted students for the Graduate Fashion Foundation awards and the selected collections that were showcased on the Catwalk by our industry panel: Iain R Webb - Fashion Writer and Lorna Burt-Curties - senior womenswear designer."
She continued:
"Graduate Fashion Week is one of the highlights of the year for all our fashion students - Level 4 & Level 5 students assisting and interning for the level 6 students in the two weeks leading up to the event. Gaining valuable insight and experience. On show day at the event, level 4 & 5 working backstage dressing with professional models and the catwalk production team. Level 5 students front of house greeting all our industry guests and visitors to the event!
As well as viewing all the incredible exhibition stands of emerging fashion graduates - A truly inspiring event to be part of."
All shortlisted students attended a final judging day, participating in a 20-minute interview with some of the industry judges, before the winners were announced during networking drinks. In addition to shortlistings, Nick Padget, Senior Editor of Menswear at WGSN, selected George Price and Lily Loat to participate in the GFW menswear catwalk show after reviewing the nominations. George commented on his experience:
“I've dressed, spectated and now it's my turn! It's like the birthday song, anxiety inducing but exciting because there's cake in the form of all the opportunities."
“All my work stems from personal narratives that are induced from submerging myself in film and music. I hope to have my own cinematic universe within fashion. It’s extremely gratifying, it's made all the graft and hard work so much more rewarding.”
Overall, it was a victorious weekend for BSU with Anna Drust winning the Sportwear and Leisurewear Award (supported by GymShark), Daisy Jackson came out on top in the BSU and Arts University Bournemouth Catwalk, as well as becoming joint runners-up with Alice Sismanovic in the Next X GFW Trend Design Competition, while Seren Millie was announced as winner of the Ellesse design competition. Hearing from Seren on her achievement:
“Traditionally I do womenswear and streetwear. I don’t do sportswear at all, so this was really interesting, and I went heavily into the technicality of it. It was an awful lot of learning, but a new journey.”
“It’s been so exciting seeing my university capsule collection, which is womenswear and streetwear inspired. It’s very different to this, but brilliant to see both of them and my work come together.”
Seren’s win has secured her a paid placement position with the Ellesse global team in London, where she will receive mentorship from their team and see her winning designs professionally manufactured and showcased on the catwalk at the Graduate Fashion Week Gala show. Her work will also be showcased within the GFW25 exhibition with a media platform feature.
If attending Graduate Fashion Week sounds like your next great venture, our Fashion Design course is the perfect stepping stone into the industry. You can also check out recent student works on the Bath Spa Fashion Instagram.