River Island Gold award winner announced at Graduate Fashion Week gala

At the finale gala of the 18th Graduate Fashion Week, sponsored again this year by River Island, ELLE Editor-in-Chief Lorraine Candy, CEO of River Island Richard Bradbury CBE, along with this year's guest Gold Award judges Giles Deacon and Matthew Williamson awarded Myrto Stamou of University for the Creative Arts at Rochester the River Island Gold Award for design, a £20,000 prize for excellence in design.

'We felt her collection had a strong signature style. It was a cohesive range which could easily be sold tomorrow' said Giles Deacon of the winner's ethereal, almost other worldly collection inspired by the work of German sculptor Hans Wilmer. Click here now to see the collection.

Myrto also scooped the womenswear award for her outstanding collection, which had at its very essence what Lorraine Candy describes as the most important thing for a designer to show - 'passion and originality'.

Other winners last night included Mehmet Ali of Ravensbourne who won the menswear award, Charlotte Simpson from Northumbria who won the Zandra Rhodes Catwalk Textiles Award and Sarah Burton from Manchester Metropolitan who was awarded the Pringle of Scotland Visionary Knitwear Award.

Charlotte Webb of Middlesex University won the Hachette Filipaachi Media and Design Award, judged by ELLE Creative Director Marissa Bourke and Matthew Hawker of i-D.

Marissa Bourke said of Webb's book 'Zara, The Bitch and The Wardrobe, 'Charlotte’s illustrated book stood out amongst the GFW shortlist this year. Distinctive illustrations and typography complimented by a witty and well crafted story display a real talent. One to watch.'

Click here now to see our gallery of celebrities from last night's gala.