Southampton Solent make-up and hair students gain backstage experience at Graduate Fashion Week

While Southampton Solent University's fashion students showcased their work at Graduate Fashion Week 2026, students from the university's BA (Hons) Make-Up and Hair Design programme were working behind the scenes, creating the make-up looks for catwalk presentations throughout the event.

Held annually in London, Graduate Fashion Week brings together fashion students, designers and industry professionals from across the UK and internationally. This year marked the sixth consecutive year that Solent students have worked backstage alongside the L'Oréal Professional team, providing make-up services for models taking part in the shows.

According to course leader Donna Bevan, students from undergraduate and postgraduate levels participated in the week-long event, gaining experience in a fast-paced professional environment. Lecturer Charlotte Logue added that 2026 marked the first time first-year students had joined second-, third- and master's-level cohorts backstage, offering earlier exposure to industry practice.

The collaboration was also welcomed by L'Oréal Professional. Rubie Costin, who led the portfolio backstage hair team, said the partnership between hair and make-up teams helped create a cohesive artistic vision and praised the students' contribution during the event.

For students, the experience provided an opportunity to work with a diverse range of models and designers. First-year student Emily Williams said she valued the chance to work alongside professionals and looked forward to seeing the finished looks on the runway. Second-year student Lucy Parks took on a team leader role, coordinating responsibilities and helping deliver the make-up concepts used during the shows.

The initiative forms part of Southampton Solent University's Career Ready Revolution programme, which aims to embed practical experience and industry engagement across its courses. For make-up and hair design students, Graduate Fashion Week offered an opportunity to develop technical skills, work under professional conditions and build contacts within the fashion industry.