June 16, 2026 |
The third week of June brings a familiar wave of confusion to the closets of Londoners, lost somewhere between raincoat and bikini. Not a drop of uncertainty reached Truman Brewery though, where Graduate Fashion Week 2026 kicked off its 35th anniversary with a 12-hour whirlwind schedule celebrating the power of creative potential.
Bringing together the next generation of fashion talent from across the UK and beyond, day one offered a snapshot of an industry in constant dialogue with sustainability and experimentation as well as a steadfast determination to rebuild fashion from the inside out. Headlining the industry talk series was Samuel Ross MBE with Thriving Against The Odds, a live reflection on the impact of his upbringing on his creative path, and the challenges and mentors he encountered along the way.
While a crowd of enthusiastic young professionals filled the talk space, emerging designers raced through the backstage areas, making final adjustments to their collections moments before they stepped onto the runway. The beautiful looks presented in the GFW Collective Show warmed up the catwalk for the graduate shows of the day.
It was after the inspiring career talk on sustainable material innovation by Peta that we met Amelia Pickance, a fashion design student from Bath Spa University, fresh from her runway debut. From flowing organza in earthy tones to dramatic accents crafted from upcycled yarn, her collection carried the rough, untamed winds of the moors to the streets of London. Beaming with excitement – one of her fashion illustrations was also shortlisted for an award – she sat down to chat. While her work draws on themes of female rage and gothic darkness, what ultimately emerged was a vision grounded in hope, light and a quiet confidence in renewal.
Hi Amelia! Could you tell us a bit about your collection?
My graduate collection is inspired by the Gothic and Romantic views of nature, and the relationship between primal female emotion, the body, and the earth. I was particularly intrigued by Gothic literature and its understanding of nature as something awe-inspiring – something you are not only deeply drawn to, but also intensely frightened by. I wanted to explore the aftermath of extreme emotion: the feeling of having cried so intensely that your whole body aches. It’s about tearing yourself apart and then becoming anew through healing and renewal.
When you think of the nature that inspired your pieces, do you have a specific place in mind?
I do. I’m from the middle of nowhere in the countryside, surrounded by moorland landscapes where rocks jut dramatically out of the grass. There are gorse bushes everywhere, and the scenery feels almost brutalist in a way – beautiful, serene fields interrupted by these huge, imposing rocks. I’ve always found that contrast really inspiring.
What was an important source of inspiration in the making of the collection?
I was really inspired by Guillermo del Toro‘s interpretation of Frankenstein. It reflects the Romantic and Gothic idea that people can be born good, but that society can shape them into something else. I think that’s something many women can relate to – the suppression of emotion, while still carrying this instinctive, animalistic side that inevitably emerges. I was also inspired by Mozart’s Lacrimosa from the Requiem. There’s something so visceral and emotional about it. It feels full of grief, anger, and intensity, and it really informed my exploration of female rage in the collection.
What is the design from your collection you’re most proud of?
I’ve been lucky enough to be nominated for the Fashion Illustration Award [by the Graduate Fashion Foundation] for one of my illustrations based on a look from the collection. It combines traditional drawing – created in ink and pencil – with digital collage. I designed the fabric myself using silk organza that was pleated, pressed, and then slashed with a blade in a deliberately quite angry way. I layered photographs of the fabric digitally over the illustration and then added details and line work, including flowing wet hair that feels very Wuthering Heights-inspired.
What was your favourite part of the design process?
Definitely the knitwear process. I took vintage knit garments that were going to be discarded and unwound them back into yarn. I then reworked the snapped strands by weaving them back in, creating these large, voluminous textures. I’d never worked with knitwear in that way before – it was really cool!
Do you feel like your personal style reflects your creative vision?
It’s definitely changed over the course of developing this collection. My wardrobe has become darker, with more greens and earthy tones, and I’ve become much more expressive in the way I dress. I think my style has become a lot more inspired by Gothic and Romantic aesthetics. I enjoy combining opposites – wearing a clunky shoe with something really feminine, or pairing feminine shoes with boxy trousers. I have also become much more playful, and I feel like I’ve returned to the sense of experimentation I had while dressing up when I was younger. It’s been a lot of fun.
Your dream fashion collaboration?
Definitely Simone Rocha, I think she’s incredible. I love the way she places women at the centre of her work and embraces hyper-femininity while also giving it strength, and almost a brutal edge. She often talks about loving pink, bows and hearts, but there’s also something darker there – references to blood and pumping hearts, for example, that make her work feel much tougher and more complex.
How about someone you’d love to dress?
My dream person to dress would have to be Chloë Sevigny. She’s just so effortlessly cool. Everything she wears immediately feels iconic.
What is something you are obsessed with at the moment?
I’ve recently become really obsessed with jewellery, particularly in a really layered, cluttered way. I love mixing metals, combining different chain lengths and even incorporating jewellery into clothing. Some people are experimenting with safety pins and badges, for example, and it looks so cool.
Thank you, Amelia! What’s next for you that you’re excited about?
I’m really looking forward to continuing to learn from other fashion illustrators and discovering new techniques. I had a meeting with some illustrators this morning, and they suggested playing with natural materials – using things like gorse bushes and sticks as drawing tools. I’m excited to keep experimenting, push my practice further and see where the ideas from this collection take me next.
Photography courtesy of Amelia Pickance.
