School’s Out

What students really get up to backstage

School’s Out

What students really get up to backstage

23/06/2026

Editorial, Events

An adventure behind the scenes of the Graduate Show 2026, as told by Maya Lilian, a Fashion Art Direction student. She went backstage with her camera, capturing this year’s graduates in the moments no one else was watching.

All the designers exuded determination for their models to hit the runway! You could really tell they knew what they were doing and that their resilience was beyond.

Maya Lilian

Undergraduate in Fashion Art Direction and Photographer

What surprised me the most was the warm and supportive energy between designer and model. You could really tell they had a clear vision: the models completed everything by making the looks come to life both backstage and on the runway.

Maya Lilian

Undergraduate in Fashion Art Direction and Photographer

What this shoot proved to me, once again, is that it is possible to authentically capture creation, community, and culture. I prioritized being an "invisible observer" which allowed me to shoot candidly the actual moments leading up to, during, and after the show.

Maya Lilian

Undergraduate in Fashion Art Direction and Photographer

Art Direction has shifted my outlook of the world around me. It has opened my eyes to worlds, cultures and personalities that have given me the courage to follow my own creative instinct and curate my own reality.

Maya Lilian

Undergraduate in Fashion Art Direction and Photographer