WSA/Dalian Graduate Shows 2016
Winchester School of Art and Dalian Polytechnic University are delighted to hold their first external Graduate show, exhibiting the work of Graphic Art students alongside a Fashion show that show cased the final collection of Fashion Design students.
Over 200 guests including industry leaders, representatives from the Dalian Economic and Information technology committee, heads of schools from Dalian’s Art and Design school and Fashion School, attended the event. The event took place within the metal carapace of the Dalian International Conference centre, a notable landmark of the city, perched at the sea edge.
The futuristic layered roof stretched overhead, lights reached upwards, with the echo of a temple gong the atmosphere was set and the fashion show began. The models walked on to a platform that mirrored the curve of the building before orbiting among the audience, creating an intimate and dynamic fashion show. A large LED Dalian Graduate Show & Exhibtion screen displayed a live feed of the show ensuring all angles of the catwalk were covered.
At the closing of the show the large turnout of guests mingled among the adjoining exhibition of work. The Graphic Arts exhibition showcased a range of diverse and creative final major projects, where students dictate the projects direction and outcomes. This included artist books, animation, package design, illustration and much more. From the audiences perspective this was a well-organised, seamless and professional event.
This is testament to the hard work, late evenings and dedication of the staff and students. The event was only possible with the strong collaboration between both institutions of the joint programme, sharing the same goals and vision, to promote the excellence achieved this year.
Beijing Graduate Fashion Show
Celebrating the achievements and results of four years of studying Fashion Design at the University of Southampton & Dalian Polytechnic University Joint Campus, the soon to be graduates have successfully showcased their collections at Beijing Graduate Fashion Week 2016.
Held at 798, the renowned Art District of Beijing, an area of converted industrial factories creating unique architectural spaces for cafes, galleries and shows. The graduate catwalk took place in 751 tank, a converted gasometer. The atmosphere within this cavernous space was phenomenal as it reached full capacity of an audience of 500.
The show consisted of a total of 16 graduate fashion collections, eight graduates from each school in the joint campus. There were high expectations for the show with guests from within fashion industry and a wide coverage of both international and local media, including The Daily Mail UK, South China Morning Post, Getty Images, Sina Weibo, Beijing Graduate Fashion Show China Daily and CCTV.
In response to the success of the show an exclusive interview was made by The Liaoning Daily, daily circulation of 500,000, the main newspaper of the Liaoning Province in which the Dalian campus was located.
The theme of the collection was entitled ‘Introspection’ and comes from the Chinese ‘Ning Si’. This represents the quiet introspection that has informed students’ creative practice and provided an academic opportunity for perspectives to be challenged, acknowledged or reflected upon. With the support of the international and national teaching team students collectively provided a glimpse, or reflection, of these thoughts into the Graduate Fashion Show. The show involved close collaboration between the fashion and graphic departments at WSA Dalian. The concept, branding and animation were all designed in-house; all students’ work represented an individual vision and a voice reflecting the chosen theme. The show was testament to the close working relationship between the two institutions, highlighting the dynamic, innovative expression of the students’ vision and ambitions.
