George Gold Award winner Chloe Jones at Graduate Fashion Week

Chloe Jones Collection Review by Claire Chambers, Images by Lin Vitali.

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Chloe Jones at Graduate Fashion Week

Every once in a while, a designer comes along with a collection you know is really unique. Such is the case of the collection by Chloe Jones, a student from Bath Spa University. Titled "Our Father, Who Art in Heaven", Chloe won the most coveted award on the final night of Graduate Fashion week, the £20,000 George Gold Award. As well as scooping this prestigious prize, Chloe also took home the Womenswear award.

She caught the judges" eyes with her ethereal collection, combining elements of sportswear, futurism and monasteric pieces. Neatly stealing the limelight from her competitors, she paired elegant chiffon full-length skirts with hoodies and parkas. The collection exuded a graceful simplicity, contrasting druidism with striking modernity and ensuring an eclectic clash of styles as it did so. The outfits were also heavily ornamented with metallic embroidery and embellishment. What could have resulted in a weird mix actually ended up with the different styles complementing each other.

Surrounded by prints and hip hop music and set to the sounds of "Enigma's Sadeness", Chloe's gothic collection and original take on sports-luxe drew attention. Her dresses made the models appear to be gliding rather than walking. Upon presenting her with the award, judge Matthew Williamson commented on the uniqueness of the designs, an opinion many are sure to agree with. The collection showcases Chloe's creativity and fresh approach to fashion.

Chloe Jones, winner of George Gold Award and Womenswear Title presents collection at GFW2012.
See more images from Chloe Jones's GFW catwalk.

Chloe admits to being inspired by her fascination for gothic architecture in her work, and the otherworldly figures that inhabit them. She also states Christopher Bailey's work for Burberry as something she aspires to, stating in an interview with Drapers Magazine: "I love classic designs and I think it's incredible when a garment is simple but just has little touches that make it really special". This is an ethos Chloe has embodied in her own work.

Chloe is quoted on the Fashion Editor Blog as saying of her designs: "My collection is inspired by religion and sport. As a graduate who isn't based in London, I am so proud to be representing the fashion talent from across the rest of the UK. It's all a bit overwhelming, but it's amazing".

Chloe chose her first outfit as her favourite piece from her collection, the cropped hoodie which is embellished on the shoulders. She claims this is because "it was my first design and it was the point which the following designs stemmed from".

This year’s winning designs are at a contrast to the work of previous winners, such as 2011 winner Rory Longsdon from Nottingham Trent University and his knitwear collection. An exciting future awaits Chloe if Rory's track record is anything to go by. Currently residing in Italy, Rory is part of the knitwear design team for Max & Co. He has also been approached by high-end companies such as Burberry.

Will we all be wearing Chloe's designs in a few years time? Who knows? Whether her clothing will work on a mere mortal is yet to be seen, but it is possible that future collections by young designers will borrow her ideas, such is her striking originality.

See Chloe Jones's GFW catwalk collection images.