Our Menswear MA has an industry focus at its core. The course is designed to meet the current and future needs of the international fashion industry and enables our students to establish and launch their own menswear brand upon graduation.
Our Menswear course offers students the option of studying the one-year course (Menswear MA), which allows them to develop their own clothing brand or the two-year option (Menswear with Professional Experience MFA), which includes a placement year in the industry.
The course benefits from some of the most significant tutors in menswear education including Adam Entwisle, Ben Reardon, Charles Jeffrey, Rottingdean Bazaar, Professor Andrew Groves, Richard Gray and Anthony Campbell, Course Leader
In addition to receiving academic and industry expert guidance, our Menswear MA students gain valuable industry experience. Each year, students have the opportunity to showcase their final collections at London Fashion Week.
This year’s graduates showed an eclectic mix of influences and approaches to the discipline of menswear. We caught up with four of the designers; Gwen Gyuwon Baek, Zackary Mahomo, Benjamin Lord and Xinyi Liu, to hear more about their London Fashion Week Experience.
What were you most excited about leading up to the London Fashion Week show?
Gwen Gyuwon Baek: I was most excited about presenting my aesthetic to the world. It’s one thing to show my work on social media platforms; but it’s definitely another challenge to present them to a world fashion audience. I was excited to see what kind of reactions and interactions my work could generate. Being part of the London Fashion Week show for the first time was definitely a rewarding start to my fashion journey.
Zackary Mahomo: For the London Fashion Week show, I was most excited about showing my collection on the best possible stage.
Benjamin Lord: It was exciting to see the culmination of this year’s work come to a climax. It was great to see my friends, family and industry react to my work in a professional environment.
How has your course prepared you for your final collection?
Gwen Gyuwon Baek: The entire journey on the Menswear MA course helped me define my creative identity, which was crucial in preparing for the final collection. The two-year course is built on various short-term projects that cover a diverse range of menswear disciplines, such as tailoring and sportswear. I was able to broaden my perspectives on menswear, challenging myself to try new concepts and experimentation methods that I had not considered before. Also, industry experts in relevant fields regularly came in as tutors, providing valuable feedback on how to contextualise individual projects in the modern fashion landscape.
Benjamin Lord: The course has allowed me to experiment and find who I am as a designer. Throughout the two years, I have been able to develop different techniques and ways of working that allowed me to successfully produce a collection that is both true to me and on trend with the fashion industry.
Xinyi Liu: The course is highly targeted and covers many aspects of training. There are many opportunities to enjoy and learn new things. During the course, we were equipped with good design and production capabilities, alongside skills in time management and visual presentation.
What inspired your designs and final collection?
Gwen Gyuwon Baek: I have always been drawn to tailoring and was intrigued by the power that tailoring has represented throughout history. For my final collection, I aimed to delve into the essence of tailoring in menswear, questioning its defining elements, strong silhouettes, cuts, details, and fabric choices. Stepping aside from the traditionally male landscape that tailoring is associated with, I incorporated draping techniques inspired by iconic figures like Madame Grès combined with Alexander McQueen and Galliano garments, which I researched in the Westminster Menswear Archive. Through 3D experiments and the creation of toiles using unconventional materials for menswear such as printed leather, carpets, and car seats, I searched for a harmonious synergy between contrasting elements. The result is a captivating blend of boldness and subtlety that embodies my interpretation of ‘modern chic’ in tailoring.
Zackary Mahomo: My designs and final collection were inspired by 90’s films such as Kids and GUMMO. I also took inspiration from skateboard culture. I worked with jersey and denim and designed from reworking garments without the use of pattern pieces or toiles.
Benjamin Lord: My collection has taken inspiration from a range of sci-fi films but particularly Blade Runner. I used punk, metropolis and noir film as references to create Blade Runner’s world and underpin my collection.
Xinyi Liu: I have always been fascinated by the past and memories. As a result, my aesthetics are very nostalgic. My final collection, ‘Century Youth’ was a love letter to my exploration of Retro 70s Memories and was inspired by American photographer Joseph Szabo’s album, Teenage.
How does it feel to show as part of the official LFW schedule alongside designers such as Burberry and Ahluwalia whilst being a student?
Gwen Gyuwon Baek: It’s simply incredible. This has been my dream long before I decided to come to London and study the Menswear MA. It’s such a privilege to showcase our visions on the official London Fashion Week schedule. This opportunity came with a lot of responsibility, to make sure that our works were on the same level as established brands. We worked throughout the summer refining our collections under the guidance of our tutors. The passionate energy of working together for a shared goal is something that I will always remember, and I would like to thank my Course Director Anthony Campbell, Tutor Gulsun Metcalf, and Professor Andrew Groves.
Zackary Mahomo: It feels crazy being on the official London Fashion Week schedule and I felt very lucky and privileged receiving this opportunity as a student.
Benjamin Lord: It’s always been a dream to show at London Fashion Week and the opportunity itself was incredible. Showing your collection at an official London Fashion Week event feels completely different to a student show. It’s also a great learning experience; we worked with the British Fashion Council on the day and were able to gain valuable industry insights on how a show of this level is run.
What are your career aspirations and how do you think your course has prepared you to help achieve this?
Gwen Gyuwon Baek: My next career goal is to get a position in menswear design, particularly in tailoring. I am fascinated by designs at companies like Alexander McQueen, Dunhill, and Burberry. I would like to build on the course’s focus of making clothes that people in the real world want to wear, and it would be a dream come true to see the clothes I design being worn by people on the street.
Zackary Mahomo: My career aspiration is working in the industry, as well as on my own brand, which I feel confident I will achieve. The course tutors are amazing and have made me a better designer!
Benjamin Lord: I want to work at a major fashion house as part of the menswear team. The course has prepared me for this environment by bringing in a myriad of different tutors that are currently working in the fashion industry. Working with these people has given me great insight into the industry.
Xinyi Liu: I would like to build a designer brand or own a vintage store. I have always been a person with a strong desire to express myself. After this course, I can say that I’ve grown in confidence as a designer and have learnt how to work with garments in a more enjoyable way.
To see all the collections presented, watch the full 2023 Menswear MA London Fashion Week show.
About Westminster
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Visit our website to find out more about our Menswear MA.
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Designer: Gwen Gyuwon Baek – Menswear MA (2023)
Photographer: Roger Dean
