RCA: The Graduates

Grafiti prints and slogans; oversized or layered menswear; and a move towards an optically influenced outlook - these were the prevailing trends of the Royal College of Art´s graduate show this week.

Presenting the work of 30 students across the disciplines of menswear, womenswear and knitwear, the show marked the last for Professor Wendy Dagworthy OBE who had led the renowned fashion programme since 1998. She counts Burberry's Christopher Bailey, Nina Ricci's Peter Copping and Chloé's Clare Waight Keller among her student alumni.

Among the line-up on parade this week, though, it was the menswear that proved to be the strongest and most explorative - with oversized boxy silhouettes or lounge jackets taking on trailing tassels, their jacket lengths layered with accompanying skirts. Overall, there was a play on styling to bring occasion outfits into a new context.

Royal College of Art

The perfect case in point - although for womenswear - was James Kelly who brought us a utilitarian take on cocktail hour with feather-flustered parka-gown hybrids in khaki and dusky pink. Also memorable was Caitlin Charles-Jones, who brought femininity and fun to cagoules and sporty hoodies through her use of lace and neon.

This weekend sees the start of Graduate Fashion Week, the next leg of the student shows.