Following the announcement that Matthew Williamson will be returning to show at London Fashion Week comes the news that the British designer will be joining the judging panel at this month's Graduate Fashion Week. He joins fellow British designer Giles Deacon, River Island chief executive Richard Bradbury and Elle Magazine editor in chief Lorraine Candy in the line-up to adjudicate this year's Gold Award winner.
Williamson said in a statement, "Fashion college was a great platform for me to express and formulate my individual style, and hone my future aesthetic. I benefited enormously from the support of the industry and public here in the UK and, importantly, from my education."
Graduate Fashion Week fever continues to build as we fast approach the event - now in its 18th year - that showcases the best up-and-coming fashion talent. This year's design showpiece runs from 7-11 June at London's Earls Court 2 arena and promises to be the biggest and best event yet for nurturing future fashion stars. Once more, the cream of British design school talent will be fighting it out for the River Island Gold Award and a cash prize of £20,000, which last year went to Jessica Au of Ravensbourne College Of Design And Communication, and in a first, the prestigious Kingston University is joining the Graduate Fashion Week schedule.
What's more, for the second year running secondary school and college students can attend the Education Day on 11 June for career advice, as well as visit job clinics and an expert panel discussion, hosted by fashion TV presenter Caryn Franklin, to explore possible fashion career paths.
"British students have been a major force in the fashion business for many years," says legendary fashion photographer Mario Testino. "There is a real sense of freedom of expression that you find in students who have emerged from British fashion colleges that you don't see anywhere else."
The week culminates with a gala show on 10 June when the River Island Gold Award winner will be announced and a host of fashion industry movers and shakers, including Mario Testino, Giles Deacon, Zandra Rhodes, Amber Le Bon, Lizzy Jagger and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, will be in attendance.
Acclaimed photographer Mary McCartney has already snapped several of the competing graduate collections, modelled by Alice Dellal, Lizzy Jagger and Paul Weller's daughter Leah, of which handbag will have the online exclusive! Check back on Sunday to take a peek at the first lot of pictures.
Plus, we have 10 tickets to give away for the gala show on 10 June at 5.30pm at London's Earls Court 2 for your chance to see the best of the student collections. Brilliant or what? Click here to enter.
If you're not lucky enough to win a ticket to the gala show, then you can still buy tickets for all University shows that are available online.
Picture: Matthew Williamson takes to the catwalk following his spring/summer '09 show.
