Central Saint Martins, the Fashion temple behind famous fashion designers Alexander McQueen and Phoebe Philo and artist Lucian Freud, is about to release a new book, Fashion Central Saint Martins. It contains unpublished work and exclusive interviews with some of these famous alumni.

Since its founding in 1932, CentralSaint Martins' has become synonymous with developing the best talent in the industry.

Founded by British painter Muriel Pemberton (who, according to her obituary in the Independent, invented "Britain's fashion art school training system"), the world-renowned academy began life with little notice.

Despite her young age and inexperience, Pemberton was hired by St Martin's - then an art school with no design curriculum other than illustration, until it merged with the Central School to become CSM in 1989 - to lead an evening course in fashion painting.

Over the years, she added museum studies, patterning and drawing classes to her schedule, until she became director of the UK's first fashion college.

Pemberton has drawn the blueprint for hundreds of students, passing on her talent and imagination to those who earned their degrees at the college: Alexander McQueen, whose postgraduate portfolio of Central Saint Martins Fashion Design heralded a new era in British fashion; Phoebe Philo, who later became creative director of Chloe and later Celine; And Riccardo Tisci, who later became creative director of Givenchy and Burberry, once said of the school: "They allow you to be yourself." They don't force their ideas on you."

The likes of Gareth Pugh and Mary Katrantzou in the 2000s and Richard Quinn and Grace Wales Booner in the 2010s are testament to Central Saint Martins' and Pemberton's ability to consistently produce designers who are household names.

In addition to alumni, the school also has a number of well-known program leaders, such as Louise Wilson, who died in 2014 after 22 years at the school.

Wilson was described by former student Christopher Kane as "a firm believer in access to art education for all classes, not just the privileged kids."

Central Saint Martins faculty and staff support this value and encourage students of all backgrounds and ethnicities to apply for admission.

It was uplifting, which sounds strange because I can remember it being hard work, but it occupied me, drove me, motivated me.

I just need to keep up with the world I'm creating. Every little detail is important and it has to be perfect.

It made me see that there are other people like me.

It was a heady time, the beginning of something new in London, a time Galliano hadn't had since he left for Paris. It's a new revolution in fashion.

The energy of being in Soho at that time, and the history and heritage of the place, and the other designers I knew, and the friends who had been there. This is the right school. It's a place worth going.

It's very successful because they basically don't teach you the traditional way. They allow you to be yourself and they don't force their ideas on you.

They teach you the skills you need to get out of school and face the tough world of fashion, both technically and mentally.

I am so grateful to the people I met who opened my eyes to the possibilities of costume creation and production.

I learned a lot from my peers, from my peers... Collaboration is the most important part of my growing up.