Anyone familiar with fashion knows Central Saint Martins has launched generations of talent who’ve become some of the world’s most influential designers. The M.A. program’s star-studded alumni list reads like a who’s who of fashion icons, but what’s equally impressive are the hundreds of graduates from every fashion discipline who shape the industry behind the scenes—whether in Parisian ateliers or less visible roles across media, events, and beyond.

Many rising stars come from the B.A. program, where young designers experiment freely without commercial pressures. The latest graduate show, held in the university’s vast King’s Cross hall, delivered on its promise of bold creativity. Andy Pomarico’s carnival-inspired designs featured wild, found-object floats and a green-painted model swinging through a doorway, while Linus Stueben’s Y2K-meets-acid collection included toilet-roll fabric patches on furry boots, track pants stitched at the calves, and a model walking a robot dog on a pink leash. (A special nod to Matthew David Andrews’s windblown, rain-soaked looks, complete with hat-mounted sprinklers—surprisingly haunting rather than gimmicky.)

Yet the most compelling collections balanced striking visuals with deeper meaning. Timisola Shasanya played with exaggerated proportions—shirts piled high like shrugs, a sail-like top billowing from a six-foot rod—reflecting her childhood between Lagos and London, all with elegant sophistication. Marie Schulze’s refined outerwear, crafted from raw silk strips, featured playful bursts of fabric escaping handbags and shoes, set to a frenetic orchestral score.

The standout was Ayham Hassan, a Palestinian student from Ramallah who crowdfunded his way to CSM. His powerful collection celebrated Palestinian craftsmanship while addressing displacement and resilience. Metallic, armor-like triangles referenced protective traditions, while a piece honoring the destroyed village of Abu Shusha combined historic woven patterns with distressed organza. Most moving was a gray-and-magenta textile, worn as a sweeping headscarf, knitted by Hassan’s mother. “She couldn’t be here today,” he said before the show. “But this way, she is.”

The night’s top prizes, judged by Burberry’s Daniel Lee (who tapped along to the eclectic soundtrack from the front row), went to… [text cuts off].The awards, chosen by the students, all went to deserving winners.

Second runner-up Haseeb Hassan, a British-Pakistani designer, impressed with his sophisticated collection. Drawing inspiration from Madame Grès’s draping techniques to vintage Pakistani postage stamps, he blended bold visuals with expert craftsmanship. A standout piece was his modern take on a shalwar kameez, crafted from dusty blue leather and adorned with Arabic calligraphy. Another highlight was a flowing white gown with pleated green motifs reminiscent of the Pakistani flag. “Collaboration was key for me,” Hassan said after the show, explaining how he worked with artisans in Pakistan to create shoes, crochet prayer caps, and woven tassel drawstrings. “I wanted to honor their craft and keep the collection rooted in my heritage.”

First runner-up Hannah Smith showcased adaptive fashion with a collection inspired by wrought-iron gate details. “I wanted to treat the wheelchair as an asset, a natural extension of the body,” she explained. Her technical skill shone in pieces like knotted leather ribbons that floated effortlessly behind models, and a tailored woolen fabric draped elegantly over a wheelchair to form a train.

The night’s most daring moment came from American designer Myah Hasbany, whose collection was inspired by a Texas UFO crash legend. She imagined an alien force mutating locals into surreal, glamorous forms—think grotesque high-heeled pumps and eerie knitted pieces that evoked Hans Bellmer or Louise Bourgeois sculptures. (Fans might recognize her work from Erykah Badu’s viral “booty suit” at Billboard’s Women in Music event—turns out they went to the same high school.)

Hasbany’s finale stole the show: a 12-foot-tall dress made of giant balloons, met with thunderous applause. When she won the top prize, the crowd erupted again. At a time when fashion often prioritizes commerce over creativity, it was refreshing to see imagination celebrated without limits.