60 Years of Fashion in Kingston

2025 marks 60 years since Kingston’s School of Art delivered an astonishing international coup for Great Britain.

In St. Gall, Switzerland in 1965, Kingston’s students defeated continental counterparts from Paris, Brussels and Rome to claim the prestigious International Youth Fashion Design award. In doing so, they helped enhance the UK’s reputation for cutting edge design, and further enshrined the ‘London Look’ as the signature style of the Swinging Sixties.

Furthermore, this was a milestone in the School of Art’s fashion courses, led by Daphne Brooker, becoming recognised as a global leader, particularly as Kingston would win the competition gain in 1966 and 1970. This legacy endures: today Kingston is ranked No.1 in London and No.2 in the UK for fashion (Guardian University Guide, 2023).

The Community Brain used 2025 to celebrate this story and 60 years of fashion in Kingston and beyond, exploring the role it has played in shaping the lives of its people, and their sense of place and culture.

We delivered a year-long programme of events, research, partnership and play. Fashion shows and exhibitions were complemented by oral histories, archival research, and a publication – as well as spectacular displays at Hampton Court Garden Festival and Kingston Market Square.

Thank you to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for making this possible.