London Fashion Week is back, and although the SS24 season welcomes back titans like Burberry, JW Anderson and Erdem, the schedule is also fizzing with exciting new names.
It’s all thanks to incubators Fashion East and the BFC’s NEWGEN (which is celebrating its 30 year anniversary with a £2 million injection from the Government’s Creative Industries package), which has helped the British Capital remain a lightning rod for emerging fashion talent. With an unprecedented 137 (!) designers set to showcase in a mix of physical and digital events between the 15th and 19th of September, there’s no shortage of up-and-coming, soon-to-be-stratospheric names to keep an eye out for. Such as…
Olly Shinder
He might be fresh out of Central Saint Martins, but Olly Shinder has already got the industry wrapped around his pinky. His 2022 graduate collection (which was photographed by Wolfgang Tillmans, no less) has already been picked up by SSENSE, Dover Street Market Paris and MACHINE-A, and eulogised in Vogue, Dazed and i-D. Next up: his debut LFW runway show as part of Fashion East’s SS24 lineup.
“I draw my inspiration from so many different places. Whether it’s the way someone is wearing a top in a club or seeing a reference to a fabric or shape in a film or an artwork,” he says of his sexy, subversive techwear, adding: “I can’t wait to show what I’ve been working on the last six months.”
Camille Liu
It’s hard to believe Camille Liu is only 26. With a CV overflowing with impressive employers including Karl Lagerfeld-era Lemarie, Alexander McQueen and Lanvin, as well commissions from Jorja Smith, Celeste and Little Simz, the French and Chinese knitwear designer is a star on the rise. That’s why the Sarabande Foundation tapped her brand Pariser, which she launched in 2021, to be part of their showcase during Paris Fashion Week last September. This Saturday see her distressed, pearl-encrusted knits for yourself at Selfridges .
Adam Frost
Chlamydia. Magpies. Heartache. Shingles. Those are just some of the things that self professed arbiter of “working class couture” Adam Frost takes inspiration from. The South East London via Hastings queer designer is a fave among the well-dressed fashion pack, including Bimini Bon Boulash, Brooke Candy and Princess Julia. All of whom tap him for his theatrical, colourful creations, and some of whom will likely be sitting FROW at his debut runway show next Monday.
Johanna Parv
“This season, my main inspiration continues to come from women I encounter in the city; usually cycling, or just on the move. I love designing performance wear that feels elegant yet dynamic,” explains Johanna Parv, another one of Fashion East’s recruits who’s currently stocked in Matches and Dover Street Market Ginza. “I love designing performance wear that feels elegant yet dynamic.” Whether it’s sheer mesh tops that facilitate airflow, or jackets with technical fiddly pockets to help offload your hands, the Estonian-born designer’s clothes are made to be worn - all day, every day, come rain or shine.
Feben
Born in Pyongyang (as in, the capital of North Korea) to an Ethiopian mother, Feben grew up in Sweden before moving to London to study at CSM - so her surrealist designs fittingly explore displacement and nomadism. Since graduating from the MA course in 2020, she’s chalked up some serious kudos. Already she’s collaborated with legendary photographer Liz Johnson Artur and Dazed & Confused Editor-in-Chief Ib Kamara, as well as debuted at LFW last year with muse Jorja Smith modelling the collection. Perhaps most notably though, Beyoncé tapped the designer to create costumes for her epic Black is King film.
