Talent initiative ‘Fashion East’ is bringing us another amazing line-up of designers at the London Fashion Week SS17. The existing line-up of AV Robertson, Mimi Wade and Richard Malone will be joined by newbie Matty Bovan.
The designers will be giving a presentation and catwalk show, which will take place in the Topshop show space on Saturday the 17th of September. A panel of buyers, stylists and editors had selected the four designers. As well as having the opportunity to present their collections, they also receive financial sponsorship, intensive one-to-one business mentoring and an inclusion in a leading Paris sales showroom. For 12 consecutive seasons, TopShop have sponsored the Fashion East Initiative.
Some designers that have taken part of the Fashion East Initiative in the past include Gareth Pugh, Jonathan Saunders, Roksanda Ilincic, Simone Rocha and Marques’Almeida.
Whilst talking about this year’s line-up, Founder and Director of the Fashion East Initiative, Lulu Kennedy described it as her “dream line-up.” Each of the designers seem to be hand-picked from CSM’s graduates, with all of them having graduated from the prestigious school in the past few years.
“It’s super exciting to be hosted in our sponsor Topshop’s venue again, this season in Old Spitalfields Market in the heart of our home, the East End,” – Kennedy.
Speaking to Dazed, Newcomer Matty Bovan said, “I’m super excited to be showing my new collection with Fashion East. The pedigree of their former designers is amazing and I’m very happy to be part of it.” It was only February last year that Bovan graduated from CSM. Since then, he has gained more than 7000 Instagram followers and starred alongside Sky Ferreira in the Marc Jacobs AW16 campaign, thanks to his stunningly unique looks.
“I won the LVMH graduate prize and then had a stint at Louis Vuitton. I worked with Marc Jacobs on a print used extensively in the SS16 collection and with perfumers Miller Harris on three projects, which was great to expand my portfolio and apply my aesthetic to a different product. I was also lucky enough to work with Miu Miu on their recent presentation in Paris.” – Bovan
So far he has only hinted that his collection is his “version of a wardrobe, loaded with colour and texture. Its twisted glamour. Very me.”
These incredible designers with their amazing collections will definitely be the ones to lookout for in the future.