Debuting in the midst of a pandemic was certainly not what this year’s graduating cohort of Central Saint Martins students had envisioned when they enrolled onto their respective MA courses two years ago, but here we are. Suffice to say, a year of limited contact, Zoom classes, and Brexit delays could not dampen the creativity of the programme’s 33-strong-battalion. 

“Working through lockdowns and life behind screens may have limited our ways” says Fabio Piras, MA course director at CSM, “but it certainly didn’t affect the attitude and the belief that we can only embrace the moment and make it greater. That is what the Class of 2021 just did – uncompromisingly within the compromise – enabling us all to move forward together fearlessly.” 

This year’s MA presentations came not by film, as we have become accustomed to over the course of the past two fashion seasons, but an immersive, scroll-through space which sought to render the hallowed setting of Granary Square, home to CSM, in digital format. Upon clicking the show link, guests are greeted by none other than cult fashion enigma, Michèle Lamy, who voices a message inspired by the students’ collections. “The future is now” she rasps as the screen zooms into a final chamber made up of individual roomscapes, unveiling each of the designer’s brave new collections. 

Joining the ranks of Phoebe Philo, Alexander McQueen, and John Galliano, this year’s alumni are testament to the pioneering nature of London’s fashion talent – from David Weksler, who crafted a post-apocalyptic collection from the wardrobe of his late uncle, to Viven Canadas’ playful ode to the countryside and Uliana Nekrasova’s burlesque-cum-brain scan-inspired offering.

Across knitwear, textiles, menswear, and womenswear, we take a look at just a few of the ones to watch from the Class of 2021.

Central Saint Martins has produced a photobook by the documentary photographer Anna Fox to commemorate the building of these final collections. The book is being sold exclusively on the website of fashion incubator, Machine-A, with all proceeds going to CSM.