Made in London: Central Saint Martins' Class of 2026 on Fashion, Feelings and The Future

Courtesy of Vlada Kyiak

To graduate from Central Saint Martins in 2026 is to step into an industry changing faster than anyone can predict. Fashion today is marked by socioeconomic pressure, career uncertainty, creative-director musical chairs, and international conflict. Nonetheless, these graduates confront this moment in their work — whether through L’Oréal Young Talent winner Polina Kadilnikova’s meditation on war and memory in Casualties, Joseph Richman’s sharp-eyed study of class anxiety in Location, Location, Location, Sophia Layk’s exploration of grief and transformation in Postscript, or Haruku Takamatsu’s ruminations on nostalgia and solitude, Through conversations with four designers from this year’s show, this piece asks what it means to graduate into fashion at a moment when the industry’s future feels increasingly unsettled.

Polina Kadilnikova – Kyiv, Ukraine— BA Womenswear (@sunkissseeed)

Images above courtesy of Vlada Kyiak.

Could you introduce your BA collection and the central idea behind it?

My collection 'Casualties' explores the question of what happens when the places that shaped you no longer exist. How can you preserve memories if there is a constant threat of losing them all? This year marks the fourth year of the ongoing war in Ukraine, with millions of people losing their homes and hoping to return. The imagery I used comes from occupied territories, reflecting the nostalgia of peaceful times, a reminder that some places to this day only exist as an image of the past. 

What were the key inspirations, references, or materials you found yourself returning to while developing the collection?

I was heavily inspired by imagery for this project, since I wanted to capture the feeling of nostalgia and peace I had to find what reflected that feeling for me. So in the end, I was looking at wedding pictures, school interiors, children’s playgrounds and very specific photo wallpapers that are mostly found in hospital interiors. I’ve used a lot of imagery from hospitals and sanatoriums, as they’ve become a place of constant relevance, a place of temporary relocation for thousands and a place of rehabilitation for soldiers. All of the research comes within Ukraine, I’ve used a lot of traditional museum photography as well as pictures of contemporary Ukrainian photographers, like Iryna Vasylenko’s imagery from her series 'Anguish in Green'. I also wanted to work with metal for my collection, as I thought it is a medium that translates war into materiality. As a result i made a steel dress replicating the shape of a playground decoration as well as recreating different war objects that are now the new memorabilia of our culture, like the anti-tank hedgehogs.

How has studying in London, and particularly at Central Saint Martins, shaped the way you think about fashion and design?

London is an exciting place to study art and fashion, as it is constantly filled with different conversations and perspectives. Being in CSM, working alongside incredibly talented people from different backgrounds and cultures, really makes a difference; being in such an environment really pushed my own practice. I really enjoyed working on the collection this year, even though it is very financially challenging to be a student in London. Therefore, I am very grateful for all the support that I got this year from The Mandrake Hotel; without it, I would not be able to finish my collection.

What feels most uncertain or daunting about stepping into the industry from here?

Courtesy of Polina Kadilnikova

The pace of change in the industry seems to be very daunting to step into; it feels very unsettling to walk into a work environment which changes so rapidly and is completely unpredictable. I do think it is intriguing at the same time, knowing how fluid the teams are recently, seeing more and more young designers taking very impressive positions within the industry. Predictable stability creates stagnation, so it is exciting to see what awaits us in future.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I want to continue collaborating with different artists and create some sort of cooperative space that works with the political context. Fashion and art media need to shift much further from being politically neutral. The big plan would be to establish a cooperative of people who talk about war through their work, collaborating with relocated Ukrainian artisans to support the endangered craft of occupied regions.  I want to organise exhibitions advocating for the rights of people in Ukraine by speaking about war through video, art, poetry and to create fundraisers to physically help protect our culture

Joseph Richman – Teddington, London— BA Menswear (@josephrichman)

Images above Courtesy of Rebecca Maynes

Could you introduce your BA collection and the central idea behind it?

My collection, titled ‘Location, Location, Location’, is a look at suburban middle-class dress and the very privileged struggle of ‘getting it right’. After my family moved to the suburbs, I watched my parents begin to perform this class identity, and as we integrated, they became more and more like the locals. There’s a lot of humour in my work, and my favourite part of this integration is how people get it ever so slightly wrong. The middle-class have the funds to buy whatever signifier they need, and this can be as simple as a banana holder, but it’s how these commodities are worn and used that reveals their discomfort. Tacked vents on expensive coats, hiking backpacks worn with suits, floral skirts and walking shoes, and cargo shorts for every occasion. I documented this over a year and a half on my commute, sneaking photos and binding them in a 350-page research book. This all boiled down to a general thesis of ‘almost right’.

What were the key inspirations, references, or materials you found yourself returning to while developing the collection?

I don’t think I’m a minimalist, but I do enjoy quotable, simple ideas; the same way some public art is made to be easily understood, I want people to ‘get it’ straight away. A big part of this involved playing with these garment archetypes I found in the research and messing with the weights. There’s foam, canvas-fused wool, paper-fused cotton, and draped cotton shorts. I found an impactful way to translate this awkwardness was simply to do the opposite of what the original garment felt like. My favourite example of this is an elastic knitted micro-floral tube scarf by @isabellapoppymorgan in response to the ‘mumsy’, floating, floral scarves I’d see constantly. Or this ‘going-out’ bomber jacket in a lurex, my Mum is obsessed with (I made a top out of it for her to take to Ibiza). 

A large portion of the fabrics comes from a craft/fabric store in Kingston called Fabricland. They sell £1 polyester printed fabrics and not a meter of wool, but I found a lot of inspiration in there; for instance, the opening look uses £2 paper fusing, which I then crush to look like it’s been ironed badly, or not at all. There weren’t really any luxury fabrics- the nicest is the closing look, which is made from British suiting wool but fused to imitate a duck canvas from my Carhartt jacket I’ve had since I was 16, or a French boiler suit that can be found in every household. 

How has studying in London, and particularly at Central Saint Martins, shaped the way you think about fashion and design?

I think British humour is a large part of why our fashion is so good – I don’t think we take ourselves too seriously, I mean, it’s a massive faux pas to believe that you are the best or even deserving of the best. I enjoy the insecurity; it makes everyone work harder, and it’s easier to steer in another direction if something's not working. I’m a massive fan of how blatant British dress is, too – like wearing a dark suit and coat and then throwing a bright, fun scarf over the top. It’s strange living in the suburbs and then also going to this ridiculous art school- it’s quite funny, I thought my collection was very simple and straight, but I look back now, and I was very much influenced by those around me. It ended up being way sexier than I could have imagined. I realised this when I had to buy 4 new pairs of underwear for my models. A year ago, I never would have put a man in a dress or a backless boiler suit. 

What feels most uncertain or daunting about stepping into the industry from here?

I’ll likely do the Master's at CSM, although this does feel like delaying the inevitable.  It’s strange, because right now I can only imagine designing for myself –  I still find certain parts of fashion hard, especially when it’s purely aesthetic choices that are being made. I like that my ideas can be broken down into 3 or 4-word sentences and that there is this simple twist that makes them work. That’s why I’m working on being more comfortable with draping – there just seems so much you can do with it that you never truly feel finished. I’m hoping that my way of working is appreciated, or that I can learn to be more comfortable with purely aesthetic decisions. 

Courtesy of Joseph Richman

In general, the idea of being creative becoming a job that you can turn on and off is quite daunting. I’ve always seen it as essential to my character and being a ‘gun-for-hire’ that can mould to any place seems crazy, impressive but still crazy, and kind of sad too.  In all honesty, I want to work for a brand, but more so I want to make clothes for my friends. I’ve made a crazy amount of work, much of it very questionable, and I’ve loved getting rid of it. People actually wearing something I’ve made makes me happier than a magazine credit ever could. I don’t think I’ll ever stop making, which is probably why I should work for myself. In the short term, I’m going to make commissionable versions of my collection to give to people who helped on the collection. 

Sophia Layk St Albans, England — BA Fashion Design: Communication (@s.e.layk.)

Images Courtesy of Rebecca Maynes

Could you introduce your BA collection and the central idea behind it?

My project, entitled ‘Postscript’, is dedicated to the memory of my mother, who passed away in December 2024, while I was studying my final year at Central Saint Martins. My mother was a writer; I grew up around literature. After she passed away, I took a year out and moved back home out of London. I was inspired by The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy in the way rural English landscapes hold grief. My project is an exploration of personal grief and transformation. 

What were the key inspirations, references, or materials you found yourself returning to while developing the collection?

Willow was a key material component of my collection. Sustainably farmed in the UK, I soaked and created tension plate structures that could be woven to hold the willow together without glue. Willow is representative of mourning and transformation, and in this collection, it was a way that I could integrate rural English landscapes into garments.

There is no plastic, glue or unnatural dye in my collection.

Courtesy of Sophia Layk

I developed several zero-waste techniques for this collection, including a leather chainmail textile where irregularly shaped leather hides were processed into hand-cut leather sequins that were individually bar tacked together. I also worked with denim; I sampled several iterations of pleated denim in various weights and scales. I hand-stitched this pleated denim together to create volumes and garment details, representing garments as holding memory and carrying grief in the body. I also developed a printing technique where strips of linen gauze are gathered by hand, painted and then destroyed to create a smock-printed zero-waste textile.

How has studying in London, and particularly at Central Saint Martins, shaped the way you think about fashion and design?

The key lesson studying at Central Saint Martins has taught me to find inspiration in my lived experiences and identity- to design from an authentic place without compromise.

What feels most uncertain or daunting about stepping into the industry from here? Where do you see yourself in the future?

I am moving on to study for my Master's in Fashion at Central Saint Martin’s beginning in November 2026. I am excited about the possibility of starting my own brand, but I know I won’t be able to do that without funding and support.

I just want to design clothes, really. I worry that the irreversible damage we have done to the planet will continue to expand. I hope the industry will learn to move more slowly. I hope consumers demand authenticity and circularity in design. Pioneering process innovation excites me. I want to be a part of that. I want to be able to apply sustainable materiality developed by scientists and technicians into relevant clothing for today’s market – I know I can’t develop this kind of material myself – I’m just the designer, and I am really very new to this world- but I am excited about the possibility of cultivating relationships with the people who really know about material innovation.

Haruka Takamatsu – Awaji Island, Japan, BA Fashion Design with Print. (@1119_ursula)

Images Courtesy of Rebecca Maynes

Could you introduce your BA collection and the central idea behind it?

Inspired by One Hundred Years of Solitude, I explored nostalgia through the lens of solitude. Drawing from quiet, ordinary moments that linger in memory, the collection reflects how time softens, reshapes, and gives new meaning to past experiences. Working exclusively with second-hand fabrics and natural dyes, I embraced unpredictability as part of the creative process. Variations in colour became layered, three-dimensional textiles, while bundle dyeing with spent dye plants and fabric remnants preserved traces of the making process itself. Through natural dyeing, hand brushing, and screen printing, the collection celebrates slowness, craftsmanship, and imperfection—transforming material memories into garments that invite reflection and emotional connection.

What were the key inspirations, references, or materials you found yourself returning to while developing the collection?

Again, the book. Also, drawing designs in the process of draping, mostly instead of drawing led. This way, I found it better because the garments in result respond to body shape and movement a lot better. It's central in my design that wearers feel comfortable.

How has studying in London, and particularly at Central Saint Martins, shaped the way you think about fashion and design?

Being around the diversity of people, different ages, backgrounds, beliefs, and most importantly, different ways of creative approach. I have learnt as many hard and soft skills from tutors as I have with my schoolmates. The innovative yet persistence to preserve traditional manual work in Central Saint Martins really led how I approach a project.

What feels most uncertain or daunting about stepping into the industry from here?

As I leave education, I am curious about how these slower, exploratory ways of working can exist within an industry that often prioritises speed, consistency, and scale. Finding a balance between those realities is something that both challenges and motivates me.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I see myself learning from people of all ages along my journey. My goal is to have my own dressmaking shop. Not anything fancy, but practical; nothing over the top, but pay extensive attention to details, I will make sure every person who walks out of my shop with my garment can wear it with comfort and happiness.

Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

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Photography by Vlada Kyiak. To view more of her work, visit [@kk.vla]

Photography by Rebecca Maynes. To view more of her work, visit [@rebeccamaynesphoto].