©2026 Martin Japheth Photography - all rights are reserved.
Jimmy Choo built a global name one handmade shoe at a time. At Graduate Fashion Week 2026 I photographed the ten graduates from his London academy who intend to do the same with labels of their own.
This June I photographed The Show 2026, the catwalk staged by JCA, the London Fashion Academy founded by Professor Jimmy Choo OBE, as part of Graduate Fashion Week. Ten graduating designers, ten emerging labels, one runway. For a fashion and editorial photographer working across North Wales and London, a show with this much individual identity on it is a real pleasure to shoot.
Images (Left to Right) of Designers: Wang Yihan & Cai Zhen, Seona Choi, Nina Wang, Nawaaal Joosub.
The Jimmy Choo academy
JCA, founded in 2021 by the luxury shoe designer Professor Jimmy Choo OBE alongside Stephen Smith, was built around a simple idea: teach designers not only to create, but to run a brand (Marie Claire; BusinessWire). With campuses in Mayfair and at Boston Manor, the academy puts craftsmanship and entrepreneurship side by side, describing itself as a launchpad for the next generation of fashion leaders (jca.ac.uk). Choo, who once made shoes for Diana, Princess of Wales, and stepped away from his eponymous brand in 2001, remains closely involved as its creative director (Fashionista). That focus was clear on the runway, because every name on the bill arrived as the founder of their own label.
Ten designers, ten labels
The Show 2026 ran on 17 June and placed ten graduating designers in front of the industry, each presenting under their own brand. They were:
- Delena Dawit (@neuro.london)
- Mia Higgins (@ruisestudio)
- Keisha Patel (@andhakara.)
- Scarlett Eve Taylor (@skarlet.unpolished)
- Kirpa Kaur Baweja (@nazkostudio)
- Harriet Angela Hodgkinson (@h.hodgkinson.studios)
- Grace Williams (@rotten.ilk), Kate Goodman (@hathor_)
- Nour Suliman (@nour.al.ain)
- Joseph Barker (@josephjmbarker)
What stood out from behind the lens was how distinct each label felt from the next. These are not student exercises. They are the first collections of brands their founders intend to build, and that is exactly the JCA ethos in practice.
The wider stage
The Show 2026 was part of Graduate Fashion Week 2026, which ran from 15 to 18 June at The Truman Brewery in London and marked the event's 35th edition (Graduate Fashion Foundation). Hair was by L'Oréal Professionnel, make-up by GUNKPro, with Rimmel London among the beauty partners, and the platform provided by the Graduate Fashion Foundation. My thanks to JCA and the GFW team for the show.
Why I love shooting graduate fashion
Shows like this are where designers step in front of the industry for the first time, often with the brand they will spend the next decade building. With around thirty years behind the camera, and as a member of the WPJA and SWPP, my job is to hand each designer images strong enough to open the next door. Photographed well, a debut collection becomes a portfolio, a press kit and a calling card all at once.
See the full gallery and get in touch
You can view the full gallery from JCA The Show 2026 here: JCA Catwalk Gallery.
Designers, agencies and organisers: if you would like your high-resolution images, or you are planning an editorial, lookbook or campaign shoot, I would love to hear from you: DM or click here.
Follow more of my fashion and editorial work on Instagram: [INSERT YOUR INSTAGRAM @HANDLE].
Full designer credits, JCA The Show 2026
(Source: official JCA The Show 2026 programme, Graduate Fashion Week 2026)
Delena Dawit, @neuro.london
Mia Higgins, @ruisestudio
Keisha Patel, @andhakara.
Scarlett Eve Taylor, @skarlet.unpolished
Kirpa Kaur Baweja, @nazkostudio
Harriet Angela Hodgkinson, @h.hodgkinson.studios
Grace Williams, @rotten.ilk
Kate Goodman, @hathor_
Nour Suliman, @nour.al.ain
Joseph Barker, @josephjmbarker
With thanks to: JCA, London Fashion Academy (@jcalondon), the Graduate Fashion Foundation, L'Oréal Professionnel Paris, Rimmel London and GUNKPro.
