Class of 2025 Celebrated at LCI Melbourne Graduation Ceremony
Graduates, families, staff, and distinguished guests gathered at Collingwood Town Hall for a ceremony marking the culmination of the Season of Excellence.
On Tuesday 1 April, LCI Melbourne held its 2026 Graduation Ceremony at the historic Collingwood Town Hall, formally celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2025 across Fashion & Costume Design, Graphic & Digital Design, Interior Design, and Visual Arts.
The ceremony marked the grand finale of LCI Melbourne's Season of Excellence — a series of milestone events that included the Graduate Fashion and Costume Runway, presented as part of the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival's Independent Programme, and the Graduate Exhibition showcasing capstone works from across the Bachelor of Design Arts.
Campus Director Adriano Di Prato welcomed graduates, families, and distinguished guests before introducing keynote speaker Susan Pehar — Melbourne-based interior designer, furniture specialist, and founder of ducksnest. — who shared reflections on her own unconventional creative journey and the qualities that sustain a career in design.
"Leaving university often brings uncertainty. But uncertainty is also where growth happens," Pehar told graduates. "One of the most valuable things you can do early in your career is identify the areas where you truly excel and continue developing those strengths."
Pehar encouraged graduates to stay connected with their mentors, to engage with the broader design community, and to see their creativity as a lifelong practice rather than a destination.
The Graduate Address was delivered by Bryanah D'costa, graduating with a Bachelor of Design Arts majoring in Fashion & Costume Design, who moved the audience with a speech that was equal parts vulnerable and galvanising.
"To be a creative is to be brave," D'costa said. "I was afraid to apply for fashion school. I was afraid to apply for runways. I was afraid to write this speech tonight. I was afraid to bet on myself. But looking back, you will continue to remain in a state of fear if you do not make bold choices."
D'costa reflected on the community her cohort had built — the shared lunches, the pre-runway nerves, the late-night studio sessions — and urged her peers to see those small moments as the foundation of everything they had achieved together.
Special awards were presented during the ceremony, recognising outstanding contributions and academic excellence across the graduating cohort. Monica Monica was named the 2026 LCI Melbourne Student Par Excellence, having achieved a remarkable average of 94% across all units of study.
Director of Studies Kate Medved delivered the closing remarks, urging graduates to think of their time at LCI Melbourne as Chapter One of a much larger story. "Your best work is not behind you," Medved said. "The creative discipline you have built — the ability to sit with ambiguity, to iterate, to find meaning where others see noise — that is a life skill. It will serve you in ways you cannot yet imagine."
The ceremony concluded with a recessional, followed by refreshments and professional photography in the Town Hall foyer.
LCI Melbourne congratulates the entire Class of 2025 and welcomes them into the global network of LCI Education alumni worldwide.
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