LFW Round Up: Ones to Watch

As part of our London Fashion Week roundup, here are some designers worth keeping on your radar.

Helen Lawrence 

Designer Helen Lawrence is definitely one to keep on your fashion radar. With a BA in Textiles from Chelsea College of Art and Design along with an MA in Fashion at Central Saint Martins, there’s no doubting this young designer’s technical skills. Fashion East took note of her talent and then the designer spread her own wings for AW15. For this collection, Lawrence presented luxe knits that are beautifully distressed, deconstructed, dissected. They might be inspired by the tape-wrapped sculptures of Phyllida Barlow, however, these pieces are works of art in their own right. The knotted Kult Domini shoes complemented these looks perfectly. We look forward to seeing with this young star will unravel in the future.

Minki Cheng 

This Minkie Cheng collection, inspired by the hustle and bustle of city life in Hong Kong, was a treat to the eyes. Think long knits in monochrome colors lit up by LED lighting. There is a contemporary-art feel to this whole collection that makes quite irresistible.

Electric x Hemyca

Fashion fused with digital innovation was at the core of this Hemyca collection, which was entitled Decrypt. The show took place in London’s ME Hotel. A special effects team worked with designer duo Helen Clinch and Maya Nigris.

Wilson PK

You might have not guessed it by looking at these clothes, but this Wilson PK collection is actually inspired by East London and time the designer spent at the Crisis Homeless Shelter. Texture was played with unexpectedly; real butterflies were used inside the plastic fabrics, and 3D printed geometric beads were sewn into the knits and jumpers, the architecture was translated into the fabrics through structured black organza pleats. The standout piece of the collection was the “Handle With Care” silver and white mid-length skirt. Wilson PK is another Central Saint Martins graduate to watch out for.

Fashion Scout

As a champion of new design talent Fashion Scout provides a platform for designers to showcase at London Fashion Week at a range of presentations and catwalk shows held at the Freemason’s Hall in Covent Garden, just up the road from the main event at Somerset House. These shows are the ones to be at to get ahead of the game and spot the big names of the future. In the past Fashion Scout has presented Felder Felder, Phoebe English and Peter Piloto. These are some of our highlights from this year’s event.

Youjia Jin

Masculine meets feminine aesthetics for this Youjia Jin collection. A collection centred around contrast; sharp-tailored looks against light sheer fabrics, pinstripe suits with soft pleats, loose fits combined with clinched waists.

Judy Wu

For this debut Judy Wu collection found inspiration came from her childhood spent in Shanghai. The collection celebrated geometric lines, block prints, and vibrant colors like orange, red and cobalt blue to highlight the colors of the city. Of course, it would be incomplete without a fitted Qipao. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNqKCY5oKak

For more up and coming London designers see our feature on this year’s Newgen cohort http://centmagazine.co.uk/newgen-aw15/20180