The British Fashion Council (BFC) has today announced that ten of London’s most exciting emerging menswear fashion design talents will receive sponsorship from its designer support initiative NEWGEN MEN sponsored by Topman. All recipients will receive business support, funding and the opportunity to use the official BFC venue to host either a catwalk show or, for the first time, a presentation or an installation during London Fashion Week’s (LFW) Menswear Day, on Wednesday 22nd September 2010.
The recipients of NEWGEN MEN, sponsored by Topman are:
Catwalk (shows will take place in the BFC Show Space):
Christopher
Shannon
James Long
JW Anderson
Presentations (presentations will take place in the Portico Rooms):
Carolyn
Massey
Lou Dalton
Sibling
Installations (installations will take place in the Navy Boardrooms):
Christopher
Raeburn
James Small
Katie Eary
Omar Kashoura
Last season saw James Long show a predominantly blue collection incorporating denim, leather and corduroy in biker jackets, trousers and boiler suits. His ability to push the boundaries with new fabrics whilst creating commercially successful pieces helped him gain NEWGEN MEN sponsorship for the third consecutive season. This sponsorship will see him host a standalone catwalk show for the first time in September.
The creative and technically talented trio behind SIBLING have between them worked for Alexander McQueen, Giles Deacon, Lanvin, Jonathan Saunders and Bella Freud. Their signature hand-crafted, bold and progressive knitwear will be shown in a presentation format during LFW. From leopard twin sets to neon mink detailing the witty and humorous label has no boundaries, making it one to watch for SS11.
Following the launch of his eponymous label at London Fashion Week last season, James Small is set to show a digital installation at LFW this season following a debut collection which offered innovative and wearable pieces incorporating contemporary tailoring, denim and outerwear in a polished collection influenced heavily by English heritage.
Previous recipients Carolyn Massey, Christopher Shannon, (both of whom have recently designed capsule collections for Topman) and J.W. Anderson’s collections once again impressed the NEWGEN MEN selection committee. The committee is made up of key opinion formers from media and retail. This season the panel included BFC CEO (Joint) and Panel Chair Simon Ward; Anna Orsini, BFC; Gordon Richardson, Topman; Jason Griffiths, Topman; Antony Miles, 10 Magazine; Alister Mackie, Another Magazine; Charlie Porter, Fantastic Man; Jeremy Langmead, Esquire; Lulu Kennedy, Fashion East/MAN; Patrick Grant, Norton & Sons; Robert Johnston, GQ; Terry Betts, Harvey Nichols and Tim Blanks, Style.com.
The number of designers receiving NEWGEN MEN support has risen from four to ten designers this season recognising the growing interest and strength of menswear talent in the UK with the potential to develop international businesses. NEWGEN MEN, sponsored by Topman, was launched in September 2009. Growing from ‘MAN’, a single show on the LFW schedule, NEWGEN MEN has become instrumental in raising the profile of new British designers offering business support, showcasing opportunities at the dedicated Menswear Day at London Fashion Week.
Simon Ward, Joint Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council commented “Within a year NEWGEN MEN has developed from an experimental pilot scheme to a successful talent identification and designer support initiative, highlighting how British menswear design talent is forging a reputation for innovation on a global platform.”
Tim Blanks, Contributing Editor, Style.com and a member of the British Fashion Council's Menswear Committee said, “Menswear is on the move all over the world. It's almost as though some kind of group mind dictated that here was an opportunity to do something new, and that seems to have sparked the creativity of young designers. London has a long and honourable tradition of breeding this species, so there's an air of inevitability about the coming together of medium and talent under the menswear umbrella. That air is thickened by the knowledge that London is also, in many ways, the home of men's fashion as we know it. Which means that the menswear community here embraces all sorts, from the Savile Row traditionalist to the Hackney rebel, with a platoon of jewellers, hatters, knitters and cobblers as artisanal satellites. We're at that protean turning point where no one knows what happens next, though everyone knows what they'd LIKE to happen. Yes, there are boomlets in men's fashion in other cities, but none with quite the personality, the appetite, the APTITUDE of London. The tribe is ready for the world. And, after Paris, the world will be ready for the tribe - if it knows what's good for it.”
Jason Griffiths, Marketing Director, Topman, who was also on the selection panel, adds "This season NEWGEN MEN boldly expands further with the introduction of new exciting tiers in the form of presentations and installations to further compliment the catwalk shows which have formed part of the Menswear Day over the last two seasons already. A strong indication yet again highlighting the ever increasing maturity of the new breed of Menswear designers operating in the UK today. Topman is proud and excited to be part of this continuing men’s fashion revolution.”
London Fashion Week’s womenswear shows will run from Friday 17th – Tuesday 21st September 2010, and menswear collections will be shown on Wednesday 22nd September. LFW is located at Somerset House, Strand WC2.
NEWGEN MEN designers which will be at LONDON showROOMS in Paris 24th – 27th June include: Carolyn Massey, Christopher Raeburn, James Long, Katie Eary, Lou Dalton and Omar Kashoura.
For more information on the NEWGEN MEN designers visit www.britishfashioncouncil.com/newgenmen