Edinburgh College of Art host their annual sell-out fashion show on 6-8 May, where fashion design undergraduates and performance costume undergraduates will have the opportunity to showcase their final collections.

The college's fashion department has an acclaimed reputation at both national and international level adding pressure to, and increasing expectations from, this year’s fashion students. As the opening night draws closer, the tension seems to be mounting – and having spent an afternoon immersed in the hustle and bustle of their studio, I became aware of just how much time, dedication and resources are necessary to create these individual and innovative designs.

Raine Hodgson, 21, from Newcastle, has labelled her collection "Folks like these," which is derived from her love of historical Russian folk costume fused with haute couture. The designs take on a theme of indulgence by creating dramatic, colourful and voluminous pieces, using materials such as furs, skins and leathers. She emphasised her regard for ethical materials using all animal by-products such as sheep skin, horse hair and feathers. Evaluating the effect of the current financial situation, Hodgson reflects on any positive repercussions, commenting on the come-back of the "investment piece" and decline of the "throw-away piece" which is allowing designers to cater for markets which yearn for well-made and long-lasting garments.

Another exuberant collection is that of Keryn McCoy, a 22-year-old from Glasgow. Her "Treacherous" collection focuses on the dark side of Victorian circus, incorporating a collection which entails structure and femininity. She has combined this with aspects of vintage tailoring and luxurious wools, sourced from the prestigious Lochcarron of Scotland manufacturer, as well as velvets which communicate texture and character within each garment. Looking to the future, Keryn highlights the importance of gaining experience, hoping to work under a major designer after graduation.

Also following a dark theme is 22-year-old Natalie Morris from Glasgow, whose fascination with the silent film star Clara Bow, her character and embodiment of "IT" (sex appeal), sets the mood for her collection. She relishes in the morbid, dark and sinister elements of the world which can be seen in an evening-wear collection which is suitably black. Morris has used high-end fabrics as well as Swarovski crystals which are subtly positioned along the seams. Her own affection toward magpies also plays a role in her creations – beautiful yet ugly at the same time, a motif reflected in the construction of each piece. Natalie hopes to continue to work for a Scottish designer she has had previous experience with and perhaps work in Paris after that.

Budding designers Amelia Hobson and Joseph McGee have drawn influence from the United States. A work experience placement over the summer in the States prompted Hobson to do further research into American fashion, and her influences can be seen in her use of clean-cut palettes and the effortless sexiness in the designs. Interestingly, she has drawn on aspects of her Kenyan heritage, being inspired by the strength and incongruous femininity displayed by the women hunters and farmers in the pages of old family photo albums. Using one of her garments, she highlighted the fusion between the creamy silky material and subtle leather zebra prints merged onto it. Hobson hopes to follow the more business route of the fashion industry, interested in sourcing and buying for large scale businesses.

McGee, meanwhile, has drawn inspiration from classic Italian designs creating a look for the super rich – luxurious and expensive. He has taken the body or the nude figure in suspended movement, exploring the relationship between body and cloth, garment and wearer. His collection is entirely for women and is a mixture of soft, draped materials and structured tailored ones. By showing me a jacket in progress, he was able to help me understand his concept and vision: a beautifully constructed cream jacket with no seams or end-points, simply layers of material draped, yet tailored, and sculpted so as to fit the woman’s physique perfectly.

Students Mairi Dryden, 21, from Dundee and Hanna Forsgren, 28, from Stockholm, have both followed the route of a more intricate style of design. Mairi’s collection entitled "The Brackens" draws inspiration from landscape. She looks at how the landscape and fashion integrate and how they can create a new aesthetic. She talks of how she used her grandparents home and aerial view of this area as inspiration, using earthy and rich colours throughout her collection. The concept of aerial views is used in the construction of her designs, with the shapes formed from these plans finding their way onto the garments through printing and hand printing. Her collection is minimalist, simple and natural and uses wools, linen and satins. With Mairi’s love for Edinburgh, she hopes to continue her career in Scotland.

Hanna, meanwhile, has taken inspiration from Olle Baertling’s geometric paintings from the 1950’s. Weaving and knitting within her designs she manipulates the fabric to produce sculptural silhouettes that mix old and new, traditional and modern. Within these creations the shapes she weaves "determine the direction in which the garment design heads," she says. "This allows me to explore the techniques and the possibilities of weaving and knitting and I take great joy in letting the material dictate the end result." She has also used organic and bright colours with reds, pinks and greens. Hanna hopes to continue her career in London or her hometown of Stockholm.

Nicole Noble, 23, from Edinburgh and Sarah Martin, 21, from Redditch, have evolved their collections from concepts rather than memories or affections. Nicole’s collection entitled "Seeing yourself seeing" is based on instinct, stating that she really just “let it happen” with no pre-conceived ideas, allowing her to produce a very honest collection. The work stems from a consideration of the over-saturation of imagery within our society and uses various materials including high quality rubber and tartan wool. Whilst many graduates are gearing up for London, Nicole wishes to remain in Scotland, where she hopes to find an environment for Scotland based fashion designers, one which she feels is currently developing more and more.

Sarah’s collection, entitled "A need for uncertainty" explores and represents a desire to escape repetition and standardisation. She was inspired by the divide between urban and rural landscapes, illustrated by a contrast of soft and structured tailoring. The look is minimal with delicate detail and fresh bright colours which “portray the inner conflict and uncertainty of wanting to be both simultaneously trapped and free.”

Carly Wilson, 21, from Edinburgh looks at, and draws inspiration from, British youth subcultures. She feels the way you dress is a statement to the outside world, an identity that you wish to portray. The question is however are these identities a true representation of the person or are the true identities hidden? She uses layered transparent fabric and detailing revealing unexpected sections of the body while an embellishment technique expresses hard and soft contrast, all exemplifying this idea of "fake" or "hidden" identities within our culture. Carly’s ultimate goal is to open up a boutique, sourcing clothes as well as up and coming designers, inspired by her favourite store, Bang Bang in London.

Kerr Watson, 25, from Glasgow has created an Autumn/Winter collection. He fuses traditional methods of tailoring with sportswear in its silhouette of modern style and its techniques and fabrics. His inspiration is drawn from his personal interests which include a love of cycling and its history, world and Japanese culture and photography of Glasgow in the 1930s and 1940s. His colour palette comes from one of his favourite artist/photographer, Thomas Demand, who makes colourful lifelike card sculptures.

ECA prides itself on giving students the opportunity to “focus on fostering and developing individual visions and talents, and encourage innovation in the use of fabrics and techniques.” In keeping with this spirit, the final show here promises to provide innovative and unique designs at the highest of standards. It looks like the world of fashion is about to be joined by some very talented and determined young individuals.