From Central Saint Martins to the world – meet the young designer. 

Not many designers can say they crowd-funded their way into Central Saint Martins, but that's Ayham Hassan for you. He began making waves at the university and earned his place at the coveted BA graduate press show. With London Fashion Week taking place from 18 to 22 September, we spoke with the designer about his experience in the industry.

From Palestine to London

Ayham hails from Ramallah, Palestine. Drawing inspiration from his heritage, he created his revered graduate collection. The collection shot to fame after the press show, catching the attention of publications worldwide. This was not only due to his unique and highly skilled designs, but also his subtle yet powerful political activism.

The collection explored the idea of Palestinian resilience, shown through his use of traditional tatreez stitching and varied silhouettes. Living in Ramallah, Ayham has experienced occupation first-hand, meaning the processes he pursues are markedly different from those of his CSM peers. He shares: "I'm moved by things that are hard to comprehend. The easiest way to express that is through garments, and how people move and feel in them, the restrictions it puts on their bodies and the freedom it gives them too." 

"My collection was inspired by art collectors, majdalawi fabric, and sewing techniques from Jericho. I found technical skills that I was really fascinated by paired with cultural symbols, themes of talismanic power, motif placements, patterns and colours."

He was struck by Palestine's beauty and power, and came to the realisation that these emotions took the form of the colour magenta, which wasn't produced anywhere in the Middle East at the time. He reveals: "The power of weaving that magenta is lost because the last family who does so is displaced in Egypt. So magenta became the focal point in terms of colour. Our historic beauty can be easily lost. We have to save our heritage. Thank God for these artisanal collectors, without them I wouldn't have been able to make this collection." 

During his studies, he realised he was one of one at Central Saint Martins. He adds: "When I came to London, my work spotlighted Palestinian heritage and culture, because for the first time I was a minority. I've never had support like this or been asked to produce more work. I've never had these emotions and this validation. It's a huge responsibility and has taken me a while to process it." 

When he originally shared his concepts with his tutors, they were surprised his work didn't come from a place of revenge or negativity, but rather from a positive point of view. He says, "That's just the essence of what makes Palestinians incredible. I'm inspired by them. Gaza is not just suffering for the sake of it, it's suffering because it's exposing everything."

"It's the age of focusing your work on your heritage as a central POV. I didn't feel pressured because everyone was doing it, I just needed to create my own space to express myself. There's enough space for everyone, but who makes that space? The young generation will do what needs to be done."

A force for good

Ayham has also drawn inspiration from an unlikely place: London's punk era — specifically McQueen's and Galliano's graduation projects. He states, "I want people to know that now is not the time to be neutral. Be rebellious, show your true self and why you're choosing to be an artist at this time. I hope people find innovative ways of approaching these topics. That's what's sad about the industry now, it's too beautiful and defined. Why spend millions of pounds on a show to say nothing? It doesn't need to be political, but at least provide something new." 

"This is happening now - I'm not looking at it as a memory. It was a huge risk to take, but we need to push existing limits." He hopes his work starts a wider, global conversation". Ayham, we're listening. 

GO: Follow @ayham_hassan_99 on Instagram for more information.