- Work Hard
- 29th May 2026
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The Northumbria Uni graduate taking her great-grandmother’s wartime story to Fashion Week in London
There’s something powerful about Northumbria University graduate Georgia Hogg’s final year collection.
On the surface, it’s a story about fashion. Look a little closer, and it’s a story about family, identity, and the small acts of rebellion that women have always found within the constraints placed on them.
The inspiration came from Georgia’s own family history, specifically her great-grandmother’s service in the Women’s Land Army. The WLA was a civilian organisation that recruited women to work in agriculture during the Second World War, keeping the country fed while the men were away. They wore regulated uniforms, lived by strict rules, and got on with it. But within that structure, many found small, personal ways to make the uniform their own, and that detail captured Georgia’s imagination completely.
“I really wanted to learn more about my heritage, as I felt my previous project missed that connection and depth. Going through the research was really surprising, as I didn’t know much about my past before this. The most shocking thing was finding out that I’d completed my Duke of Edinburgh Gold in the same area my great-grandmother was based, and I had no idea at the time. It felt like a really strange and special connection.”
That connection became the heart of everything. The theme running through her collection is rebellion, but not the loud, obvious kind. This is subtler, more considered. Georgia was drawn to the way Women’s Land Army members personalised their regulated uniforms, small, meaningful details that pushed back against uniformity without ever breaking the rules outright.
As a specialist in print design, Georgia translated that idea into something visual and wearable. Checks reference the structure of WLA dress. Florals beneath the surface speak to individuality and personal expression. Distressed print techniques push the contrast further. Every element is doing double duty, decorative and storytelling.
“Print has always felt like the most expressive element of design to me. The prints aren’t just decorative, they’re doing the work of telling the story.”
A LIBERTY SHORTLIST AND A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT
Being named on the shortlist for the Graduate Fashion Foundation x Liberty Fabrics competition, which challenges students to research and represent a moment in history through fabric and colour, clearly meant a great deal.
“I was genuinely shocked and surprised in the best way. It really validated the direction I was taking with my work. The fact that it’s Liberty specifically feels really special, as a heritage British brand, it ties so naturally into the themes of my collection.”
The shortlisted looks, made from Liberty fabrics, will be part of a catwalk show at Graduate Fashion Week in June, where three winners will be selected. Georgia’s design is currently under wraps ahead of its official reveal, but if the thinking behind it is anything to go by, it’ll be worth the wait.
REVEAL, GRADUATE FASHION WEEK AND WHAT COMES NEXT
Closer to home, Georgia will be presenting her full collection at REVEAL, Northumbria’s graduate showcase running across the university’s Newcastle City Campus and at partner venues including BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Live Theatre. This year’s event carries extra significance, marking 70 years of fashion education at Northumbria.
“Before coming to Northumbria, my knowledge of fashion was quite limited, so I’ve come a long way. Northumbria gave me the space to find my creative identity. I genuinely can’t believe how far I’ve come.”
She’s nervous about showing work publicly for the first time, but more than that, she’s excited. And for anyone in the North East dreaming of a career in fashion, she has a word of advice:
“Back yourself. It’s not always easy, but if you stay open-minded, consistent and believe in what you’re doing, opportunities will come.”
Georgia Hogg’s work will be showcased as part of REVEAL 2026 at Northumbria University. Graduate Fashion Week takes place Monday 15th –Wednesday 18th June in London.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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