Fashion graduates buck the trend - graduate jobs

Prospects for fashion-design graduates may not be recession proof, but who cares? They don't seem to.

Talk at the London Fashion Week debut of the latest collections from Central Saint Martins graduates was more crepe-de-chine than credit crunch, bleak future or not.

Said David Koma, a young designer from St. Petersburg: "I do what I love. At the moment I don't think about anything bad or the economic crisis."

And Jo Ortmans, a spokeswoman for Saint Martins, was equally sanguine despite a survey showing that British employers are hiring a fifth fewer graduates than originally planned.

"As a designer, you start in your own little recession," she said, "but once you get out there, there are a million other jobs. You can always find a way."

Derek Lawlor has perfected a technique used in Japanese body armour, adapting waxed-cotton cords to bolster cashmere sweaters. He said: "There's no concrete plans. I don't think anyone in this room has concrete plans."

Charlotte LaRoche, meanwhile, believes the recession might even help fledgling designers break into the market. "Most of my friends think it's not a bad thing because with less money you can invest in new talent."