Central St. Martins Will Never Die: An Alumni’s Tearful Tribute
With the much anticipated arrival of summer comes a bittersweet moment as well: The iconic Charing Cross building of Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design (or CSM) is set to shut its historic (and heavy, might I add!) doors at the close of the season, through which have passed some of the most prolific talents in fashion, fine art, film and music: Alexander McQueen, Peter Doig, Sarah Burton, Hussein Chalayan, Hamish Bowles, Anthony Gormley, and M.I.A to name a few.
The beloved, well-worn building is, as CSM puts it, is “not easily adapted to keep up with fast changing technology and industry.” It may not be shiny or new–call it stubborn–but some of us like it just the way it is. It has history and charm, which I was fortunate enough to experience while studying Fine Art there for three years. Yes, I may have found myself painting in a puffy down jacket in the dead of winter due to the unreliable heating system in the 3rd floor studios, but that just helped justify lots of tea breaks and Lady Sovereign impersonations.
