Central Saint Martins

The students at one of Britain’s most renowned art and design colleges – Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney are but two of Central Saint Martins’ famous alumni – put on a rousing show Friday night, using their “final projects” to set out their vision for fashion’s future.

The results were anything but predictable and certainly didn’t conform to traditional notions of beauty, or even gender. The result was a glorious mix, with some epic fails but more than a few memorable offerings, including menswear with unusual style.

Some of the men wore animal-themed facemasks, gnarly jackets, and off-theshoulder, diagonally cut tops. Others wore three-quarter length frock coats, Russian style, cinched by bright red belts, or skintight superhero type outfits set off by billowy sleeves.

Womenswear was all over the board, with some bondage style outfits and very revealing, jagged tops. There was a series of brightly colored dresses with cutouts – the colors reminiscent of the Amazon jungle – and a sprinkling of more classic outfits that would have been appropriate in a 1958 edition of Vogue.

The overall effect of the show was tantalizing – so many ideas, so many colors, such a strong desire to flout convention. It’s hard to tell who Britain’s