I just had a chance to review the Graduating designers collections from the 2008 Royal Academy of Fine Art Antwerp. There were 2 collections that really impressed me for totally opposite reasons.

Glenn Martens – April 29th, 1983

Glenn Martens graduating collections, entitled April 29, 1983, was hands down the best collection of the show. It was a great  illustration of his technique, concept and sophistication. This to me was not a collection of a student but someone who had been working in the industry for years , a great use of fabrics to create extremely original silhouettes. I loved his use of layered sheers and the geometric construction of each garment.

Yu Fukumoto – The Collector

Yu Fukumoto graduating collections, entitled The Collector was a beautifully told “word for word story”. A perfect example of an “A” student. Find a concept and work it out to the “T”. More often than not I have seen literal interpretations of concepts become absolute flops but thsi collection really works for me. I love the simple color palette and the detailing throughout the collection.