Words by Emmeline Child. Photography by Oliver Leake

As any undergraduate and fashion insider knows, Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) is one of the most anticipated fashion events in the calendar. Here we see who will be stepping out into the footsteps of the likes of Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, who all had their debut at this event in successive years.

This year feels a little different, as GFW has only gone and got all ethical! Not only are more designers using ethical/sustainable fabrics for their collections, but the event itself is focusing on being more sustainable with recycled projects in conjunction with River Island (the main sponsor) and stands that wouldn’t look out of place on an allotment.

So I’ve bagged my front row tickets and am eagerly watching which designers will be gracing Estethica at LFW in years to come.

One of the strongest ethical collections was in the opening show of GFW by Freia Groves of Northampton University. The full organic collection was inspired by the theme of ethical artists and designers from around the world, making a conceptual and interesting collection reminiscent of the sculptural designers from the East.

Freia says "I have completed work experience with a number of Ethical Designers and intend to continue my career in this area". You definitely get the impression that Freia is dedicated to producing ethical fashion and that it is a lifestyle choice for her as much as a ‘final collection’.

Calum Harvey opened the show at Ravensbourne this year using recycled materials at the forefront of fashion. His humorous use of shredded seat belts took on a completely unrecognisable effect, while his recycled scarfs were simply beautiful. It was great to see a cutting edge recycled men’s collection on the catwalk, an area of slower growth than that of womenswear.

At Westminster University Anna Underdown used organic cottons to great effect, but when speaking to her it turns out it was quite by accident. "I used the organic cottons purely for the quality, the fact it was ethical was just a bonus." Quality counts in the graduate competitive high stakes, showing the distance between ‘Ethical’ and ‘Luxury’ are continuing to close while becoming more commercially available.

There was almost one collection from every University that came under the ethical banner, something that would have been rare only a couple of years ago. So to conclude: Expect to see more ethical fashion on the GFW catwalks in years to come, taking on both the ethical principles and high end areas of the industry.

Keep an eye out for these hot new designers, as the big trend for next year really is Ethical Fashion! The last word however goes to the Graduates who seem to be saying that ethical fashion is not a passing fad, but really is here to change fashion for the future.

Thanks Emmeline for keeping us up to date with the world of ethical fashion. Emmeline has her own stylish label, Emmeline 4 Re, which recycles textiles and pushes the boundaries, to generate individuality and style for conscious individuals.