FAD catwalk show report for LFW S/S 2016

On the final evening of London Fashion Week, FAD, an organisation that provides teenagers with hands-on training, industry experience and opportunities, presented the Fashion Future’s final, where the young designers were able to present their designs on the Fashion Scout catwalk. Each capsule collection consisted of three or four looks, and the theme of this year’s competition, as suggested by the origami-style invitation, were designs inspired by Japan and Korea.

After being presented with the finalist’s incredibly strong, varied collections, the awards were presented. The first, for Directional Outerwear, went to David Bennie, who created a rich, maroon-hued leather jacket with a high collar and patterned lapels that somehow morphed into a chunky scarf. It was an incredibly strong, unique design and it’s not difficult to imagine it selling well on the high street.

The award for Innovative Surface Design went to Nurdan Sinal, who impressed with a beautifully feminine dress covered in a red, blue and violet print that evoked a spray-painted surface. Again, it really is not difficult to imagine this dress being popular with young women everywhere with its strong, wearable design with just the right amount of edge.

Anakin Telle Nakata impressed judges with an amorphous, navy and black dress with cut-out shoulders and asymmetric hemline, earning her the Technical Excellence award. The unusual design tapped into the current trend for sporty, urban pieces, capturing the sartorial zeitgeist whilst demonstrating a flare for fabric manipulation.

The winner of the overall Fashion Future’s award was Hana Minova, who will now have the opportunity to take on a design placement with George at Asda. Her collection took inspiration from Japanese culture, with striking separates in white and beige paired with platform sandals. Particularly strong was a look that consisted of a white, wrap-around top worn with cropped, loose-fitting pants created from an organic sacking material.

Not only was this a hugely enjoyable, energetic show, it was also wonderful to see young and upcoming talent given a platform from which to showcase their work – it will be very exciting to see what these young designers do next.

Grace Cain
Photos: Erol Birsen