Knit, Nostalgia and Newness: Nottingham School of Art & Design Set the Tone at Graduate Fashion Week
by Tia Janowski
On the 13th June, Graduate Fashion Week took over Brick Lane’s Truman Brewery to showcase the fresh talent of fashion graduates across the UK. Among the first to hit the catwalk was Nottingham School of Art and Design, which brought a standout show full of colour, texture and thoughtful design.
With themes of sustainability, nostalgia, and imaginative reinventions of classic silhouettes, the collections were interesting and mesmerising. While every student brought something unique, here are Darling’s four favourites from the show.
Maisie Bodington- Memories to Hold
A champion of sustainability, Maisie Bodington’s (@mkbfashion) collection “Memories to Hold” drew on themes of family heritage and nostalgia, brought to life through repurposed materials and careful detailing.
She fused oversized tailoring with soft, floral accents to create silhouettes that felt both grounded and tender. Standout pieces included a pinafore dress layered over a voluminous sage green undershirt, and an oversized tweed blazer and shorts set adorned with delicate floral appliqué.
Her palette of dark green, khaki, cream, orange, and yellow evoked a sense of warmth and memory, while styling details like headscarves and mid-length socks with heels added vintage charm. The overall effect was fashionable, thoughtful, and quietly radical in its environmental commitment.
Emma Gillie- Get Down to Business
Emma Gillie (@emmagillie) brought a clever twist to traditional menswear with her collection, “Get Down to Business” which also featured in GFW’s dedicated menswear show.
Inspired by the uniformity and repetition of office spaces, Gillie shared via Instagram,
“I imagined a bored businessman climbed into his computer and became awesome.”
Her designs parodied business wear with knitted suits in jewel-toned blues, greens, oranges, and purples. Mismatched panels of check and stripe patterns added energy without clashing, while dramatic flared trousers and sharp tailoring reimagined office attire with a playful, modern edge. Bold, creative and technically impressive, Gillie’s collection celebrated individuality over conformity.
Ernesta Palionyte
Ernesta Palionyte (@ernesta.palionyte) delivered an exquisite knitwear collection that balanced oversized silhouettes with soft femininity.
With a palette of cream, dusty pink, deep red, and black, her pieces featured large floral details, gingham fabric accents, and dynamic textures. Loose yarn trousers, shaggy knit elements, and asymmetrical hems added movement and charm. Palionyte’s technical skill was clear in the variety of stitch styles, from tight and intricate to open and airy.
The final look, a red body-hugging knit dress with embroidery hoop details across the back and a sweeping white scarf connecting a dramatic hood, brought the collection to a striking, unified close.
Catherine Brodie- Eternal Toybox
Catherine Brodie (@shop.catcat) delivered a riot of colour and playful defiance in her collection
“Eternal Toybox”, inspired by Japanese Kawaii fashion and her personal trove of toys and trinkets.
Embracing maximalism, Brodie layered clashing prints, textures, and playful motifs to explore dressing for personal happiness rather than social norms. Her designs challenged the notion that adulthood must mean leaving behind childlike joy, with designs that featured cartoon flowers, big bows, and bright neons.
Despite its whimsical tone, the collection was cohesive, imaginative, and impressively constructed. One particularly striking look featured a tight, long dress with orange accents, a giant lime green bow, and a pink fluffy bunny-ear hat, a perfect expression of Brodie’s joyful philosophy.
The Nottingham School of Art & Design runway stood out for its variety, creative storytelling, and refreshing takes on traditional forms.
From reimagined menswear to experimental knitwear and expressive maximalism, NTU’s graduates set a high bar for the weekend. Their collections demonstrated the emotional depth, technical ability, and innovation shaping the future of fashion, and proved that knitwear is anything but one-note.