Meet 15 of London’s Most Promising Fashion Designers

Here is the 2017 class of NEWGEN, from the frill-inclined Molly Goddard to the streetwear of A-COLD-WALL*

Meet the NEWGEN class.
Courtesy British Fashion Council

Wales Bonner

Grace Wales Bonner is a Central St. Martins graduate who has already been recognized by the BFC for her luxe menswear that combines European and African influences. Her range, which is "informed by broad research that encompasses critical theory, composition, literature, and historical sources" has already been recognized by the BFC, when she was named Emerging Menswear Designer in 2015. One year later, she was crowned with the LVMH Young Designer Prize.

Courtesy British Fashion Council

Sadie Williams

This young talent's arrival on the scene came courtesy of a vibrant, mostly metallic collaboration with & Other Stories in 2014. In fact, metallic is a signature of this designer, who is an alum of Marc by Marc Jacobs, J.W.Anderson and Katie Hillier.

Courtesy British Fashion Council

Marta Jakubowski

A Polish-born designer, Jakubowski has a firm grasp on turning playful silhouettes into (sometimes) wearable art. Since her 2014 debut, that has included a dress with an underwear-shaped cutout, trousers with one voluminous leg and a puffer jacket reimagined as a sultry dress.

Courtesy British Fashion Council
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Molly Goddard

Few designers have turned poufs of candy colored tulle into an identifying signature quite like Goddard. Currently a finalist for the LVMH Prize, Goddard might be one of the best-known names on this list. And if you don't know her frilly and unapologetically feminine line, well, you should change that.

Courtesy British Fashion Council

Paula Knorr

The female identity is a huge inspiration for Knorr, who was born in Frankfurt but currently resides in London. She interviews women and considers how they portray their bodies and their emotions; she then translates all that into clothing designs. Ranging from bold graphic dresses printed with photo-real eyes to a ruffled top and bottom, Knorr has an impressively wide range of creative fluidity.

Courtesy British Fashion Council

Nicholas Daley

For a dose of unconventional cool, this eponymous menswear brand mixes nostalgia for the past with Savile Row precision, season after season. For example, at an early show, which was inspired by a picture of Don Letts and Bob Marley, high-waisted paperbag trousers and elongated trench coats were all over the runway. And the show was accompanied by Letts' personal appearance.

A former Dover Street Market shop boy, Daley's brand is now carried in the store among other top stockists.

Courtesy British Fashion Council
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Phoebe English

To set the tone for the aesthetic of English, consider the fact that Vogue called her "the Coco Chanel of the post-apocalypse" at her first-ever presentation at London Fashion Week Men's. In fact, she got her start in womenswear, but began designing for men with her boyfriend in mind. Her NEWGEN recognition is for her male designs, which merge a sense of utility with romance, all of which is made in England.

Courtesy British Fashion Council

Richard Malone

Hailing from a working-class family in Ireland, Malone is a proud rule breaker on the emerging London scene. With an embrace of bright colors and unconventional shapes, he's known for culling inspiration from the mundane, including public transportation and road signs. A graduate of Central St. Martins, he has taken home LVMH’s Grand Prix scholarship and the Deutsche Bank Award in Fashion Design.

Courtesy British Fashion Council

Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY

More than just a fashion line, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY is also a club night, created by Charles Jeffrey. The two entities inspire the other; the club provides plenty of creative spark for Jeffrey's artistic approach to menswear. Hailing from Scotland, he's now known for creating club kid couture.

Courtesy British Fashion Council
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Kiko Kostadinov

Kostadinov only graduated Central St. Martins in 2016, but he's already taken the fashion scene by storm. He has since created two sold-out ranges in collaboration with Stüssy and was tapped as creative director for Mackintosh's designer range, Mackintosh 0001. Follow along as he continues to climb the style ladder, with his stylized take on uniform garb.

Courtesy British Fashion Council

Liam Hodges

On his website, Hodges claims that he wants his menswear to "examine masculinity in a contemporary way," ultimately providing men with pieces that they actually want to wear. That is, as long as they want to wear bold graphic t-shirts, electric camouflage jackets and sweatpants that put fashion before comfort. First unveiled in 2014, Hodges' range swiftly caught the attention of Topman's emerging designer platform, MAN.

Courtesy British Fashion Council

Cottweiler

Co-designed by Matthew Dainty and Ben Cottrell since 2012, this is a label that offers a refined version of streetwear, with a definite athletic touch (they've previously collaborated with Reebok). Having recently taken home the 2017 International Woolmark Prize, consider this label on the up-and-up.

Courtesy British Fashion Council
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Halpern

His previous experience includes consulting for Atelier Versace and designing for Beyoncé, which is impressive. But you really have to see the work created by the New York born Michael Halpern to fully understand his talent for making elegantly elevated clothing that still holds onto London's underlying rebellious vibe. Particularly, seek out his sequin-festooned dresses and jumpsuits, which might be better than couture.

Courtesy British Fashion Council

A-COLD-WALL*

Samuel Ross is a protégé of Off-White and Virgil Abloh, so naturally his line is extremely buzzy―and effortlessly cool. For example, at his fall 2017 presentation, he rolled out a pair of custom NikeLab Air Force Ones. You can peruse A-COLD-WALL* at Barneys, Harvey Nichols and Japan's United Arrows.

Courtesy British Fashion Council

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Everyone knows that London is the city to look towards for emerging fashion talent, as it’s where the clothing is experimental and the designers are young. Few organizations have supported the burgeoning superstars in this fashion capital quite like NEWGEN, a sponsorship program from the British Fashion Council, that supports the young generation, via monetary and administrative means. Not only do they foster designers at the beginning of their careers, but NEWGEN continues to renew their sponsorships year after year, until the brands are mature enough to stand on their own.

For example, this year Alex Mullins, Ashley Williams, Craig Green and Faustine Steinmetz are graduating from the program.

But now, it’s time to take note of the current NEWGEN members. A-COLD-WALL*, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, Halpern, Nicholas Daley and Richard Malone are the newest inductees to the program, which includes both men’s and women’s designers. They join the likes of Molly Goddard, Marta Jakubowski and Wales Bonner, to round out the group of 15. Out of the crew, Richard Quinn has been singled out as One to Watch, so you might want to keep tabs on him. Or at least follow his fantastically floral Instagram account.

Considering other alums of NEWGEN include Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane, J.W.Anderson and Mary Katrantzou, you will definitely want to acquaint yourself with the newest class of members. Here’s a primer on all 15.

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