Colouring Critique Volume 01
Central Saint Martins Colouring Critique adviser: Annabel Crowley
UAL Fashion Student Lived Experience: Ceylon Wallace
Central Saint Martins BLK Art Collective CSM Co-founder & Developer: Dionne Elizabeth
University of the Arts London Colouring Critique adviser and mentoring: George Barker
UAL Fashion Student Lived Experience: Georgia-Sky Little
Central Saint Martins Colouring Critique lead and publication author: Huguette Tchiapi
UAL Textiles Alumni Lived Experience: Kemi Ajose
UAL Fashion Alumni Lived Experience: Krissie Marie Heliodore
UAL Fashion Student Lived Experience: Mmesomachi Ohanwe
Central Saint Martins Colouring Critique adviser: Monika Gravagno
London College of Fashion Colouring Critique adviser: Shani-Louise Osei
Central Saint Martins Ethics Coordinator: Silke Lange
Central Saint Martins Colouring Critique adviser: Tanveer Ahmed
UAL Fashion Student Lived Experience: Zainab Barry Mansary
Publisher: University of the Arts London
Publication Date : 2025
Format: EPUB
Imagine the scenario. You are a Black fashion student developing an assessed project that has specific roots in your culture or ancestry. As your tutorials progress, it becomes clear that your assigned tutor lacks the foundational knowledge to be able to deliver clear, meaningful feedback on your project. Meanwhile, your peers are given numerous references from their feedback sessions. They move forward with multiple conceptual frameworks and ideas that they can use to strengthen their project. Your tutorial feedback notes are filled with gaps.
Now flip the scenario. You are a tutor guiding a Black fashion student through an assessed project that has specific roots in their own culture or ancestry. This culture or ancestry is far removed from your own. As you progress with your tutorials, it becomes clear that you don’t have the foundational knowledge of their ancestry to be able to deliver clear, meaningful feedback. You want to supply your student with multiple relevant references, but you are short on time to be able to conduct any additional research. You’re also hesitant to give feedback on a fashion culture that exists outside of your field of expertise.
Colouring Critique is a research project which collects, examines, pulls apart and contextualises the experiences of Black Fashion students across UAL with the aim to offer pathways for tutors and students to transgress cultural differences. In the process, celebrating the work and perspectives of graduating and current students, giving them an opportunity to showcase and feedback their work, perspectives and ancestries across UAL.
This project began in January 2024. It is organised by UAL Fashion Alumni Huguette Tchiapi .
Full publication can be read on the UAL website linked here.