Darling Magazine

by Michaela Piontkova Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) is an event that gives fashion students across the UK a chance to present their work to potential employers.  Spanning four days, the schedule is packed with fashion shows, live talks, exhibitions, and more.  On the third day we were privy to the GFW International Catwalk in the morning, followed by a joint show featuring the University of Central Lancashire and Norwich University of the Arts Catwalk in the afternoon.  With the first runway of the day kicking off at 10:30am sharp, it was certainly more on time than the majority of shows during fashion weeks. This suggests that either the backstage production was strict, which gave the young designers a good idea of the professional world, or the designers themselves were already well-organised, showing their potential to become successful. Either way, it left a good impression on the audience. We were then presented with over 20 collections of fashion graduates from their member univers

by Emily Duff As we navigate 2024 and Pride Month comes to an end, the need for long-term activism is more prevalent than ever. It’s crucial to reflect on how far the UK has come in advancing gay rights, while also recognising the work that still needs to be done. While we’ve celebrated significant milestones that begin to close the discriminatory gap, we’re still nowhere near equality. With a general election on July 4th, the political manifestos of parties running can offer a glimpse into the future of LGBTQ+ rights in the UK. A Brief History of How Far We’ve Come The UK has seen some progress in LGBTQ+ rights over the past few decades with the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967, less than 60 years ago, marking the start of some change. Since then, the UK has introduced more measures to protect and empower the LGBTQ+ community: 2004: The Civil Partnership Act allowed same-sex couples to form legally recognised partnerships. 2010: The Equality Act provided anti-discrimination