Ones 2 Watch:

The Up-and-Coming Creatives of London Fashion Week

Bodyamr

 

Not only did all the LFW promotional material feature a model clad a la Bodyamr frock but Claudia Schiffer turned up to the Vogue soiree wearing the label. Talk about a photographic opportunity. Think beautiful draped silk jerseys in a palette of deep tones such as plum, wine, petrol blue and black. Inspired by the DADA movement and the photomontage artist - Hannah Hoch, the collection combined sassy sexiness with fluid femininity plus a few signature details along the way. Styled with voluminous crimped hair-dos and dramatic smoky eye make-up Bodyamr has already been touted with ‘one to watch’ status.

 

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Aganovich & Yung

 

The Aganovich & Yung design duo have already built up an impressive following and yet have only shown off-schedule twice. Continuing where they left off last season - think beautiful slinky pieces with quirky styling details. Belted macs and fitted shirt-dresses that gave ladylike a serious dose of sex without veering into tarty territory. Much in the same vein as Agent Provocateur but in the arena of fashion Aganovich & Yung are slightly naughty with their glossy fabrics - heightened all the more by showing the collection in a church. Details included tie necklines, contrast panelling, piping and pleats while tones remained in the deep quarters of black, petrol, berry and slate.

 

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Richard Nicoll
 
Spotting fashions ‘next big thing’ seems to have become a national sport these days. Riding high on the list this time around is the likes of Gareth Pugh, Roksanda Ilincic and Richard Nicoll. Of course here at Fashion PR we don’t miss a trick and noted Nicoll a few seasons ago when he first showed under the Fashion East umbrella. A manipulator of fabrics his clever tailoring and distinctive styling details have already developed into a trademark look. His A/W 06/07 collection received TopShop New Generation sponsorship, thus gaining the attention of several fashion big guns such as; Alexandra Shulman, Colin McDowell and Suzy Menkes. Nicoll proceeded to show his distinctive range of masculine pants, silk chiffon blouses and slouchy shorts. He progressively pumped-up and layered the volume while remaining true to his personal aesthetic, albeit with a flash of green thrown in.

 

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Clare Tough

 

All rise for the new queen of knit, and we are talking about knit in the unconventional sense. In fact many would be hard pushed to recognize as knit at all. Clare Tough combines a variety of techniques to create a collection that is full of unexpected textures and finishes. This season it’s her chain knit that’s commanding all the attention, it arrived as a trim on her fitted black dresses and long cardi coats. Elsewhere, Tough showed off her skills with a multitude of knitting techniques within each design - from tiny fine gauge to open crochet styles. She combines her love of knit with sexy, grown-up silhouettes and muted shades. Key tones range from black, ecru, gold and grey while yarns incorporate silk, wool, synthetics and rubber. Clare Tough creates forward thinking, distinctive and yet wearable designs – bringing a much needed contemporary attitude into the realm of knitwear.

 

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Avshalom Gur

 

You’ve got to hand it to Central Saint Martins - that college seems to be a breeding ground for designer talent. Avshalom Gur is one such example, after graduating with distinction on his MA fashion course he freelanced for a range of fashion houses before launching his own label last year. Not afraid to experiment Gur shows tattered baby-doll dresses one minute followed by voluminous enveloping quilted numbers the next. From floaty and delicate to bold and in-your-face you get the feeling that Gur is open to new ideas no matter how outlandish. Add this to his scrawly prints and his collaboration with emerging artists – such as jewellery designer – Carol Wiseman and you just know there’s more great stuff on its way.

 

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