Kensington and Chelsea College: future talent

KCC offers world-renowned courses, which are both industry-connected and taught by award-winning tutors. The prestigious college is the place to go before either starting your fashion degree or your own business! 

On Thursday 26^th June, the college opened their doors for their annual exhibition, showcasing students work. These were our favourite up-and-coming designers from the Art and Design – Fashion Pathway course: 

Toni Shen 

“My exhibition is inspired by a specific fungus, nicknamed ‘zombie-fungus’. When ants eat this fungi, it enters the brain and controls the body of the insect, making them do unnatural things like leaving their kingdom.”

“From there I looked at control as a key topic, which led me onto slavery and racism in the 18^th and 19^th century. I’m quite a political designer; I look into the emotion of historical events. For my final collection I showed a stronger side of slavery, of them fighting back, getting their rights and power back.”

Instagram: @Katieitsme

Tara Hunter Khemiri

“The idea of my work came from the past five-six years of me and my mum watching serial killer documentaries; it’s something I’m fascinated by. It interested me to research whether it’s genetics or a choice. It’s quite a complex thing, and I like projects with several layers.”

“Elizabeth Bathory’s story was one of my key inspirations for this collection. She used to kill her maids and bathe in their blood because she thought it would make her look younger. Towards the end of her life, she would bite her victims and drink their blood.”

“For the garment, I wanted the coat to look quite androgynous. There are some parts of the coat that are ruffled, and I made every single piece by hand and stitched it on. I wanted to represent what a crime scene would look like; you have blood everywhere. I bought red fabric paint and smothered the garment with my hands for a messy, uncalculated look.”

Instagram: @Tara2805

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