A recap of my Radford University Graduate Fashion Show experience, complete with photos of my favorite designers and their pieces.

The Radford University Graduate Fashion Show is a fashion is held to celebrate and introduce the collection of final year students, from the Fashion department who were able to fulfill the requirements of the 4 year program.

The Fashion showcase was held on the 26th of May 2018 at the  Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel, prior to this a Launch was held on the 18th of April on the streets of Lagos Avenue East Legon, Accra Ghana.

The launch was a sneak peek into what the graduating students would be showcasing at the main fashion show.

Photos from the Launch

Photo credit – @ruc_fashion

As a Model and Fashion enthusiast I have always been interested in the Radford Fashion Show, the show yearly introduces world-class talent to the Ghanaian fashion industry (like Papa oppong, Sama Fletcher, Stevie Frenchie), so when I got the opportunity to create content for the show I was excited.

Radford Graduate Fashion Show 2018

The event began at 4pm with an exhibition from students who were yet to get to their final year, there was a section for fashion, paintings and graphic designs.

The exhibition was the perfect back drop to interact with people, make new friends, reconnect with old ones and just enjoy the art. It ran a little longer than expected, but we were entertained with delicious canapés and cocktails.

I alternated between enjoying the exhibition and running back stage to photograph some beauty looks which I shared on Instagram.

At about past 7, We were finally ushered into the main auditorium for the runway showcase which was my favorite part of the evening. This is because I have been following the students journey from the launch and through the fittings, I was able to appreciate the finished look more.

The stage was well put together, decor was on point, the ushers were helpful, the lighting was good and finally the music was well themed.

The crowd was ready to be wowed and the students did not disappoint. A total of 16 final year students showcased their collection and they drew inspiration from various things like Autistic puzzles, Chandelier, Satellite, Slavery, Frozen (animated movie), Greek Eternal, Armour,  Games of the 90’s etc.

There was a special Woodin inspired section where all graduating students showcased pieces inspired by their various themes but created with Woodin Fabrics.

Favorite Designers and their pieces

Here is a list of my favorite designers for the night in terms of how well they interpreted their themes, color scheme, presentation, and functionality in no particular order.

Greek Eternal by Melissa Boateng

This collection is perfect for the Wedding Guest, Bridesmaids, Unconventional Bride and Award Events.

Satellite Views of the Earth by Golden Osekre

Pieces from this collection can be worn independently or style together to Creative work functions, Girls Night Out and Musical Award Events.

2&3 tiered cakes by Atimbila Aguli

Inspired by tiered cakes, pieces from this collection  can be worn to a party, creative industry events, date night etc.

Afro Latina  by Samara Addo

This collection is special to me because it upholds a culture and the prints on the Fabric were handmade by the Designer.  Pieces from this collection can be worn to a Traditional Wedding, Afro themed events, Native Fridays at work, Work events where you want to stand out.

Rave Culture and Pop Culture

The colors and fabric used for this collection makes it the perfect choice for Fashion shows, Street style, Creative industry, Bloggers meet up, Casual outing with friends and Musical concerts.

Bonus

Games of the 90’s by Larrod Laryea, Larrod drew inspiration from Ghanaian Childhood games played in the 90’s to create a casual men’s wear collection.

Frozen by Rosemere Ogboo Hollome, this was a collection for children and they brought it, the kids stole the entire show.

Autistic puzzles collection by Cynthia Agbley was special because it used Fashion for a cause. Some of the pieces from this collection was modeled by ladies who have Autism. It was different and special in so many ways.

My RGFS 2018 Experience was fun, interesting and inspiring. I learnt a lot about what it involves to create a collection, the hard work and dedication it takes. I also experienced first hand the vetting process by Faculty leaders which I think contributes to the success of the show and the students in the future.

Many thanks to the department for having me and allowing Beautiful Almond to spend some time with the students.

Thank you for visiting the blog today,

Were you able to catch the show?

Which collection is your favorite?

Which of these pieces who you totally wear, where would you wear it to and how would you style it?

Let me know in the comments section below.

Until next time, Love Beautiful Almond