Central Saint Martins’ 6 best dressed: Students dish out how to look good in deadline season
Just behind King’s Cross station lies the internationally renowned Central Saint Martins (CSM) school, an artistic hub for all things fashion, art and culture—and one of the most stylish spots in London.
The campus was once the stomping ground of fashion greats such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Phoebe Philo. All of which have gone from the university’s smoking area during library breaks to the fashion hall of fame, spanning across New York City, Paris, Milan, and, of course, London. But there’s much more to CSM than its prestigious alumni.
Our hunt for CSM’s most fashionable rising stars started off slow. Granary Square was quiet and wasn’t really giving the usual hustle and bustle we’d expect of a university campus. All of a sudden, however, lectures began, libraries opened and the square was flocked with trendsetters who were no strangers to receiving compliments about their outfits—or showing them off. No one was camera shy, the pavement really was their own personal runway.
The students were kind enough to take a few minutes out of their busy schedules to dish the dirt on what inspires their style and model some of their favourite pieces. We might be in the middle of a frantic deadline season but you’d never know, especially given the ways in which the CSM students emulate sublime style and always give off high fashion rather than dread-induced coffee stains and tracksuits.
Name: Ben
Age: 26
Occupation: Music producer
Social media: @shurkpics
How would you define your style?
“I guess it’s rave style, but it’s more inspired by The Matrix. I love The Matrix.”
Who or what are the main influences behind your style?
“One of the background characters in The Matrix that gets killed very early on in the first movie. I don’t want to be the main character, I just want to be the person in the background where you’re like, ‘oh no, they died’.”
What was your most embarrassing fashion moment?
“Probably like the whole of my teenage years. I look back on my entire sixth form years and think ‘Oh God!’ I wore a beanie hat with a bobble on top, it was giving ski season and that’s not really me.”
What is a fashion trend you hate?
“I can’t say it’s a fashion thing but everything to do with Dance Monkey and that aesthetic. Cursive singing was the worst thing to happen to human kind.”
What is a fashion trend you love?
“It’s not something that’s super trendy right now but the whole Britney Spears era in full red latex. Also, Christina Aguilerra in ‘Dirrty’. The trend where you’d have music videos where they’d boxing or wrestling for some reason and you get the whole dark club feeling. Also the blood rave in the movie Blade where all the vampires get eaten.”
Name: Dominic
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Social media: @d.om.inic
How would you define your style?
“Honestly, I’m from Essex so I’m very desensitised to just crazy patterns like leopard print, I wear it all the time. I just love to mix crazy patterns with bold colours to colour block.”
Who or what are the main influences behind your style?
“The crazy Essex ladies who just wear pink everyday, the GC, fake tan, crazy makeup everyday. That was the foundation of my fashion style, I can’t lie.”
What was your most embarrassing fashion moment?
“There’s been so many. I wear go-go boots all the time but the ones I get are really cheap and not made very well and the heel broke off in the middle of the day and I had to walk home wobbling on one foot.”
What is a fashion trend you hate?
“I don’t really hate that many. I think when everyone was in that football boy haircut in 2011/2012, I’m glad that’s died.”
What is a fashion trend you love?
“I love when people try to recreate the Black Panther look, bring back afros, bring back the black leather look. I also love when people are able to equate that look with vintage clothing as well because it definitely takes me back to all those references. That’s all super fun.”
Name: Pip
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Social media: @gasconnade
How would you define your style?
“Chaotic.”
Who or what are the main influences behind your style?
“I think Pinterest is my biggest thing. I really like 60s and 70s mod sort of styles. Not that that’s really what I’m wearing but I like a bit of everything really. I used to be really into Audrey Hepburn’s style. So I thought I was going to go in and be the Givenchy style when I was younger, but I’ve sort of evolved into lots of turtlenecks and lots of colourful colours.”
What was your most embarrassing fashion moment?
“I think I’ve never had an embarrassing fashion moment, I think all my fashion is beautiful!”
What is a fashion trend you hate?
“Low-waisted pants, I know they’re really cool but they just don’t look good on me at all.”
What is a fashion trend you love?
“Shrugs at the moment. I’m wearing one underneath, it’s basically just the sleeves of a jumper. I really like them, I want to make them.”
Name: Jordan
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Social media: @jordanteskey
How would you define your style?
“Queer and comfy.”
Who or what are the main influences behind your style?
“I used to be really into the punk subculture and I did a lot of research on it. I also listen to a lot of punk folk music. I really like a good fairytale aesthetic. I have a very cute outfit, I call it my frog prince outfit. So kind of a mix between punk and fairytale is kind of what I try to go for.”
What was your most embarrassing fashion moment?
“The first thing that came to mind isn’t about me. It’s my brother. We’re both swimmers and he ripped the back of his Speedo seconds before his race. He was in a corner and it ripped against the wall. But it was backstroke so my dad and his coaches said ‘you’re going in!’ He swam his race with his entire butt out. He did well, I think.”
What is a fashion trend you hate?
“When people buy crochet from stores because crochet cannot be made by machines, Zara is notorious for it. Also, low-waisted pants. I’m so mad at Y2K making a comeback, it’s going to be around for a while and I’m so angry about it!”
What is a fashion trend you love?
“Thrifting, high-waisted jeans, just people being individual.”
Name: Ludovica
Age: 24
Occupation: Student
Social media: @luvincentii
How would you define your style?
“My style changes a lot, almost everyday. It depends on my mood. I really love the English style that is very ‘I don’t care’.”
Who or what are the main influences behind your style?
“People I see around London, I don’t really have a celebrity that I’m inspired by, just the people around me.”
What was your most embarrassing fashion moment?
“This is hard, there’s been a few times my bra poked out. Just normal fashion mishaps, but I don’t care, it’s not that embarrassing.”
What is a fashion trend you hate?
“Low-waisted, I don’t have the right body shape for it.”
What is a fashion trend you love?
“Definitely skirts over jeans.”
Name: Ally
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Social media: @yalliess
How would you define your style?
“I like funky things. I like everything colourful, fun and comfortable.”
Who or what are the main influences behind your style?
“I’m a dancer and I really like watching dance, so the way people move influences my style and work.”
What was your most embarrassing fashion moment?
“Definitely my teenage years and not knowing what my style was. Skinny jeans weren’t a look and I’m terrified of the thought of them potentially coming back but everyone said the same about low-rise.”
What is a fashion trend you hate?
“I don’t know if it’s a fashion trend but I don’t like people dressing in those long coats.”
What is a fashion trend you love?
“Activewear is coming back. People combine edgy with sporty and getting active. Health is wealth!”
