British Fashion Council announces Fashion’s New Generation for SS14

The British Fashion Council has announced yet another generation of fledging UK-based designers to showcase their spring/summer ‘14 collections this September at the inaugural fashion week schedule, under one of the world’s most renowned talent identification schemes NEWGEN.  J JS Lee, Lucas Nascimento, Simone Rocha, Marques’Almeida and Sister by Sibling have all received the eponymous sponsorship and opportunity to use the BFC Catwalk Show Space, with Nasir Mazhar, Sophia Webster and 1205 awarded a presentation sponsorship, with Liam Fahy being granted an exhibition sponsor. The initiative’s committee will build upon their standardised mentoring groups for the designers by hosting focal seminars and one-on-one business support, with the schemes primary sponsor Topshop imparting its active company knowledge on business acumen.

The Korean-born designer J JS Lee will meander the staged boardwalk with canvases of intuitive minimalism starkly contrasted with modernist tailoring, boasting solid fabrics embossed with intricate detailing yearning for the modern woman to seek fashion in a uniquely feminine form. The Brazilian graduate Lucas Nascimento will provide playful insight into the knitwear genre with careful yarn consideration fused with a keen interest in geometric and textural perspective, igniting the facades to boast classic cocoon aesthetics with protective attributes, curating a new movement within typical knitwear. 

Irish romantic Simone Rocha demonstrates evident understanding within realms of sensuality, extracting the influence into a modern context juxtaposed with structural-strength, idyllic for the clientele with an envy for everything beautiful. Rebellious pairing Marques’Almeida deliver raw angst with their effortless and young-spirited dishevelment, stimulating a medium between impulse and consideration; their key focus is upon technicality within construction whilst evoking a distressed attitude. The design-trio behind Sister by Sibling will pleasure audiences with their eclectic bravado merged with a defiant use of colour, sparkle and everything knitted, with invaluable ease and humour casting an incomparable shadow over the womenswear genre.

Established in 1993 by the British Fashion Council, NEWGEN (New Generation) consistently strives to maintain their primary aspiration of showcasing and nurturing unestablished design talent inhabiting home shores. With financial support, exhibition show space, a relevant introduction to industry press and buyers, and now the incorporation of business support into the programme, the ideation is to break the emerging-constraints of these unrecognised design-academics, potentially fuelling their prospective future.

Given the calibre of previous NEWGEN alumni, this year’s emerging representations are most definitely personalities to watch.

London Fashion Week will take place from 13^th September to 17^th September.

Ben MacDonald

Please visit the British Fashion Council website for more information.