The New London Designers You Need On Your Radar

Pauline Dujancourt

It’s been a little over two years since London-based French designer, Pauline Dujancourt graduated from a knitwear MA at Central Saint Martins. Named as one of the eight finalists of the prestigious LVMH Prize in April, Dujancourt’s new take on intricate textile processes, such as crochet and hand knitting, has placed her fore of the recent surge in young brands seeking to preserve traditional craft techniques.

Her ethereal clothes are handmade by an all-female collective in Peru, which she aims to empower through her thoughtful collections that seek to keep traditions alive.

Karoline Vitto

This season, London-based Brazilian designer Karoline Vitto will make her solo London Fashion Week debut under the British Fashion Council’s Newgen talent programme, after two seasons showing as part of the Fashion East. Vitto’s size-inclusive work focuses on celebrating the female form: her signature slinky cut-out dresses often bedecked with intricate silver hardware, are designed to accentuate the curves of the body. Last season, she brought her diverse cast of models to the Milan runways as part of Dolce & Gabbana’s ‘Supported by’ project.

Backstage at the Karoline Vitto SS24 show in Milan

Standing Ground

Fresh off receiving the inaugural Savoir-Faire Prize from the LVMH Prize committee, Michael Stewart, founder of the womenswear brand Standing Ground, is making his return to London Fashion Week. After previously showcasing with Fashion East for a couple of seasons, the Royal College of Art graduate is set to unveil his distinct vision in his first solo runway show.

Stewart’s approach to design centres around draping, meticulously following the body’s natural contours and placing tucks and seams in unexpected, unconventional places. While his creations have already graced the red carpet, worn by the likes of Imaan Hammam and Salma Hayek, this debut solo show signals a renewed appreciation for made-to-order, couture-inspired fashion on the London stage.

Imaan Hammam wore a Standing Ground gown to the 2023 Met Gala.

Yaku

Yaku Stapleton captured our attention when he was awarded the L’Oréal’s Professionnel Creative Award at the annual Central Saint Martins graduate MA showcase in 2023. Afrofuturism, the cultural movement that combines sci-fi and fantasy to explore the African diaspora and Black culture, is where the young designer finds his expression.

His graduate collection presented a deeply personal take on the topic where he reimagined his family members as characters in a video game, presenting larger-than-life pink puffer jackets, oversized cargo trousers and a striking green look made from Circulose, a 100% recycled fibre made from textiles waste. Stapleton will be arriving on the official schedule as part of the BFC’s NEWGEN programme, putting together an ambitious presentation involving a performance with 18 actors.

Johanna Parv

Estonian-born designer Johanna Parv will also present her first solo show since graduating from Fashion East at London Fashion Week. The Central Saint Martins alumnus accredits people-watching as her main source of inspiration, studying how women on the busy street navigate daily life.

She sees clothing as something that should be dynamic and adjustable, creating solution-led performance wear, with buildable elements like clip-on belt bags, fold-away skirts with built-in cycling shorts, and floor-length nylon gowns with nifty handbag compartments. Adding a luxe feel to everyday technical gear, Parv’s work is a fine example of the when sportswear and high fashion coexist.

Johanna Parv showed her SS24 collection as part of the Fashion East line up

Steve O. Smith

Artist-turned-designer Steve O. Smith trained in sewing and pattern cutting at the Rhode Island School of Design before studying fashion at Central Saint Martins. His unique designs, favoured by stylist Harry Lambert, have already appeared on the red carpet, with Eddie Redmayne and Hannah Bagshawe wearing matching pieces to the Met Gala.

Smith cites the sketches of Julien d’Ys, Picasso, Willem de Kooning, and George Grosz as key influences. Working directly from his own artworks, the designer follows the scratchy pencil lines and inky acrylic brushstrokes of his illustrative work and places them on the body. His surrealist creations celebrate the slowing down of things and the artisanal handcraft that goes into making a collection.

Hannah Bagshawe and Eddie Redmayne wore Steve O Smith on the Met Gala red carpet this year.

Fashion East: Loutre and Nuba

Olly Shinder returns to the talent incubator Fashion East, joined by two new names on the runway: Loutre and Nuba. Loutre designer Pia Schiele takes cues from London’s urban landscape and skate culture. The designer started her career in industrial and product design, which shines through in her deconstructionist approach to making.

Nuba is a menswear brand co-founded by Cameron Williams and Jebi Labembika, who pay homage to their Afro-Caribbean and West African identities. Growing up in South London the designers weave narratives of belonging and sense of place into their neatly tailored design, which offer a fresh take on contemporary menswear through the lens of their mothers’ approaches to dressing.

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