Fashion design graduate making rapid progress on the road to success

Sarah-Louise graduated in June 2020 with Fashion Design with Business Studies BA(Hons), and has wasted no time in gaining recognition for the distinctive clothing she is creating via her own brand label SLK Designs.

This year, she was one of six emerging designers selected for the Graduate Fashion Foundation Digital Designer showcase as part of February's London Fashion Week (LFW). Her most recent collection “This, Madame, is Versailles” creates high-impact couture she describes as “Marie Antoinette meets Jeff Koons in a fusion of Rococo and Pop”.

Speaking about her LFW showcase, Sarah-Louise said: “With the current COVID situation I didn't even think about being able to be part of LFW so soon! I am so grateful to the Graduate Fashion Foundation for giving me this opportunity. Being showcased during LFW, such a key event in the fashion industry, is really important to get my name out there and start building contacts.”

Sarah-Louise Koessler at her studio

Dress by Sarah-Louise Koessler

Reflecting on her time at Brighton, Sarah-Louise said: “I think that the year I grew the most at university was the final year as we were in the studios everyday (until COVID). The tutors are very present and help question your ideas and push them further. We really feel like we are making the most out of our time at university. The internship year that the course offers is also essential - you become familiar with the industry and what area you would like to specialise in.”

Soon after leaving Brighton, Sarah-Louise saw her clothes showcased by leading Barcelona-based fashion influencer Marta Sierra to her 700,000-plus Instagram followers. Sarah-Louise's work was then picked up by stylist B. Akerlund – a previous collaborator with Lady Gaga and Madonna – with a commission to produce a dress for a Swarovski film that launched a new collection in Milan.

Half French and half British, Sarah-Louise grew up in a small town in the French region of Alsace, before choosing to come to study at Brighton because of the far greater focus on practical work rather than theory. With SLK Sarah-Louise Designs, she seeks to create an avant-garde take on classic Haute Couture that explores conceptual and architectural silhouettes through the use of innovative fabrics and technically-ingenious moulded and structured designs – in a sense, fashion as sculptural wearable art.

Sarah-Louise is currently developing new lines including handbags, accessories and a diffusion ready-to-wear collection using fabric remnants to reduce waste. Her work has been featured in titles such as Tomorrow Magazine, Malvie Magazine and the cover of Feroce Magazine.