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NEWGEN at London Fashion Week SS 2016

Nine emerging design talents in the fashion world will be showcasing their collections at London Fashion Week in September. Sponsored by NEWGEN, the British Fashion Council’s landmark scheme to support new talent, each NEWGEN designer will present their collection to international buyers and press, as well as been given a dedicated pop-up shop after their show or presentation to make sales appointments with buyers.

Shows at LFW are either in catwalk or presentation form; three designers have been given catwalk shows, four will be doing presentations and two have received exhibition sponsorship.

Catwalk shows:


1205 was founded in 2010 by Paula Gerbase. The label is all about cut, quality and proportion, with a highly modern and precise, almost clinical aesthetic. Gerbase studied at Central St Martins and trained at Savile Row tailors, Kilgour.




Ashley Williams made her NEWGEN debut in SS 2015, prior to that she showed at LFW for Fashion East (another scheme for emerging talent). She graduated from the University of Westminster in 2012, and her colourful collections feature quirky graphics, fun bags and reimagined iconic images and slogans.




Ryan is Hong Kong born and spent his time at university in London figuring out his aesthetic. He creates dreamlike collections which are inspired by pop culture and nostalgia in equal measure. Romantic fantasy is a strong theme, with a unique DIY approach (Ryan taught himself to knit via Youtube tutorials).



Presentations:


Claire’s one of a kind illustrated aesthetic is influenced by the iconography of youth culture. She also designs amazing luxury hand-painted leather. She was born in the North East and studied at the University of Westminster, making her LFW debut in 2013 for Fashion East.




Danielle’s womenswear collections are a master class in bizarre fabric combinations and surface details, infused with  vibrancy and youthful vigour. She gained a Masters from the Royal College of Art and has worked in Paris, Italy and London. She has received NEWGEN sponsorship twice previously.




Faustine Steinmetz uses hand dying, weaving and painting techniques to recreate iconic pieces; which can take weeks to weave. The craftsmanship is amazing, with pieces being made individually on traditional handlooms.  I especially love the handwritten labels, the label is all about craftsmanship over trend.



Molly studied Fashion Knit at Central St Martins where she specialised in traditional hand-crafted techniques such as hand pleating and crocheting. Her work incorporates the themes of special occasions, coming of age and nostalgia, inspired by jaw dropping party dresses. She presented her AW 2015 collection in February at LFW, with an art studio backdrop as a set, staged as a life drawing class. The pieces are ethereal, delicate and distinctly feminine.


Exhibition space:


Marta is from Poland and grew up in Germany. She studied at the Royal College of Art (graduating in 2014) and has worked with Alexander Wang and Hussein Chalayan. Her clothes are relaxed yet elegant, comfortable yet edgy, showing off the body in a non-obvious way. She works freelance for designers such as J W Anderson and Marc by Marc Jacobs.




Sadie is a prominent textiles designer. She graduated from Central St Martins in 2013 with a distinction for her work on the Textiles for Fashion pathway. Her collections are modern and playful,  often using unusual fabric combinations. She has designed for & Other Stories and even for Barbie. She does freelance work for other designers such as J W Anderson and Marc by Marc Jacobs.



Designers, who received sponsorship based on their creativity, strong design ethic and uniqueness also get support by way of business seminars to help them to build their own infrastructure and skills. It’s a promotional launch pad for new designers which raises their media profile whilst at the same time offering support and encouragement. Previous recipients include Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou and J.W Anderson. The NEWGEN committee includes many top fashion industry figures such as Alexander Fury (The Independent’s Fashion Editor) and Stella McCartney.

Even just researching this piece was massively inspiring and definitely cranked up my excitement levels for LFW. Check out the their work on their websites via the links above. 

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