Young designer puts on a fine clothes show

Kasubika Chola, who is a fashion student at Kingston University in London, had her designs worn by Caryn Franklin, who presents the Clothes Show on TV.

The British fashion commentator, who is also a visiting professor at Kingston, wore Kasubika’s denim creations on the catwalk at Graduate Fashion Week.

Kasubika’s garments were selected by a panel of industry experts as among the best 25 on show.

The 23-year-old, who moved from Zambia to Wakefield with her mother and sister aged four, told how she wanted to embrace both sides of her cultural heritage in her work.

She said: “There’s a lot of division in our society right now but I’m passionate about embracing those different to yourself. I’m from two very different backgrounds, but love them equally. I’m proud of my Zambian heritage and proud to be from Yorkshire, part of the Western culture, as well.”

Kasubika has created a series of unisex garments for her final year collection, with both male and female models wearing her looks on the catwalk.

Cotton African shirts and dresses sourced from Brixton Market were cut and re-sewn to create new prints for sleeves, cuffs, collars and pockets. The garments were then combined with reworked denim dungarees and jeans, unpicked and then sewn together to create flowing new pieces.

The theme of sustainability runs through her collection.

Caryn Franklin said: “What I loved about Kasubika’s aesthetic is how it’s all about unifying people but still giving them their individuality. I really enjoyed wearing her garments, there’s humour in the clothes and it made me smile as I walked down the runway.”