CSVPA is proud to announce its first award winner at Graduate Fashion Week 2025.
Marta, a third year student on our BA (Hons) Fashion Branding & Creative Communication course, has been named as one of the winners of The Female Gaze in Women’s Sport competition. Second year student Kristine was named as a Finalist in the competition.
The competition brief, set through a collaboration between Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) X Mastercard X IDA Sports, was to explore the Female Gaze in Women’s Sport. Second and Final year students from all fashion-based degree courses at GFW Member Universities around the world were invited to conduct their own research on women’s sport, values and representation and present their creative outcomes through fashion design or fashion communication mediums with the aim of helping to create a space for women to thrive in sport.
The winners of the competition will have their work showcased within a concept store dedicated to providing a home for female led businesses who are designing products and experiences for women in sport. Their winning outcomes will also be showcased at Graduate Fashion Week 2025 this June in London.
Marta’s final outcome seeks to showcase how women can balance traditional femininity with strength and power – which are usually seen as masculine traits. Through visual storytelling and exaggerated styling, it highlights the side of women’s sports that is often overlooked.
These images seek to narrate her personal feelings about being a woman in sport, and are accompanied by a piece of writing that explores her relationship with sport growing up.
“Using fashion styling juxtaposed with the familiar tropes of High School sports and its slogans, my project aims to provoke thought and shift the storytelling towards more authentic and personal representations” explained Marta. “It aims to show that women don’t have to choose between being feminine and being an athlete, they can exist in both worlds.”
Kristine was named as a Finalist in the competition. Her concept focuses on highlighting the importance of gentle sports, which enhance flexibility, mobility, balance, and mental health while strengthening the body. She aims to merge the worlds of gentle sports and fashion into a unified outcome, showcasing the female physique, power, strength, and control. Her project is not just about aesthetics, it’s about showing that sport can be powerful, elegant, and deeply personal.
Kristine conducted a photoshoot to capture the flexible body movements reminiscent of poses you might see in gentle sports. The model wears a simple black dress and high heels, an outfit you would not typically associate with athleticism. However, through this contrast, she seeks to convey that women in sport can still embrace their femininity, blending fashion and athleticism seamlessly.
Speaking about her concept, Kristine explained: “My goal is to inspire those in the fashion and creative worlds to see that sport can be just as fun, expressive, and creative”.
Find out more about our BA(Hons) Fashion Branding & Creative Communication course.
