Inspiration to Wear: The new designers to watch out for in 2015
2014 was an exciting year for the emergence of new talents on the British fashion scene. From grungy Portuguese label Marques’ Almedia’s raw-edged denim designs, to Faustine Steinmetz’s hand woven pieces, Lucas Nascimento’s knitwear, and Molly Goddard’s pink party dresses that took the catwalk by storm - 2014 brought a plethora of fresh innovative designers to the forefront of our attention, thanks chiefly to NEWGEN - the platform which is recognised as producing the stars of London Fashion Week.
Drawing on inspiration from the youth subcultures of the 90s, from the old i-D magazines and the normcore style of today, Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida - the Portuguese designer duo behind grungy label Marques’ Almeida, are the rising stars of 2014 on the British fashion scene - winning the Emerging Womenswear Designer at the British Fashion Award this year. “Obsessed” with the youth code of raw, effortless and young, the brands main concern is to create wearable and desirable clothes in a way thats fresh with their signature raw-edged denim and grunge spirit.
Since graduating the university of Westminster in 2012, 25-year-old Ashley Williams has taken the fashion scene by storm. Emerging this year as the runway success of Fashion East, pop culture enthusiast Williams’ camp, kitsch and lighthearted designs that see a melange of pop colours with cheeky graphics are more than just the face value, with ideas of great depth behind the creations. Her trademark pieces are the “Happy Ashley Print dress or big red knit jumper.”
Since graduating the university of Westminster in 2012, 25-year-old Ashley Williams has taken the fashion scene by storm. Emerging this year as the runway success of Fashion East, pop culture enthusiast Williams’ camp, kitsch and lighthearted designs that see a melange of pop colours with cheeky graphics are more than just the face value, with ideas of great depth behind the creations. Her trademark pieces are the “Happy Ashley Print dress or big red knit jumper.”
The Central Saint Martins graduate who has worked with Craig Green, Mark Fast and Alexander McQueen, and considers her greatest achievement as being a part of Fashion East, has made a name for herself this year for her unconventional well styled outfits. The London-based knitwear designer says her signatures are “handmade knits, PVC scribble embroideries, and wobbly shapes” with her trademark piece recognised as the “Powder pink PVC scribble jumper from SS14.”
Irish born “youthful and vibrant” unconventional womenswear designer Danielle Romeril brings “edgy and unconventional inspiration to street chic ready-to-wear with her uncanny visualization of style” through a focus on extraordinary fabric combinations and surface details. Her signatures are “details that are routed in craft but have been given a subversive, punk edge.” With her trademark piece “the humble t-shirt, but re-imagined in lace with leather detailing or laced with leather deck fringing.”
Extraordinarily self-taught through YouTube videos, Hong Kong born designer Ryan Lo creates clothes to make girls look “pretty, cute, gorgeous and sexy.” His trademarks are pink frocks, with his ideal client being “a woman who likes to spoil herself.” His signature aesthetic is “emotional. Grumpy. Lolita. Desperate. Selfish. Aggressive. Arrogant. Naughty. Sexy.”
The star graduate of the Central Saint Martins BA course in 2012, which led to a collaboration with ASOS, Molly Goddard is an emerging star of 2014 who is among the NEWGEN designers to receive presentation sponsorship. Inspired by the Spice Girls and Barbie, the newcomer boasts a whimsical, bold, yet fairy-tale-like aesthetic.
Thomas Tait
This years winner of the LVMH Young Designer Prize, 26-year-old Canadian born Thomas Tait is best known for his razor-sharp precision, immaculate tailoring, clever use of volume, and clean, almost clinical approach to design. He describes his signatures as “clean, understated structure with a focus on curve-linear silhouettes.”
