With London Fashion Week set to begin in just a matter of days, our focus turns to the talented designers nominated for the prestigious Fashion Awards of 2023 by the British Fashion Council. This year holds particular significance as it marks the 30th anniversary of the BFC NEWGEN, an initiative which supports the best emerging fashion design talent and aims to build global, high-end brands of the future. In honour of the anniversary, this year’s award will recognise a current BFC NEWGEN recipient. There are 5 categories currently announced, with a 6th one - Designer of the year, revealed in November.
BRITISH MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
GRACE WALES BONNER FOR WALES BONNER
Founded by Grace Wales Bonner after her graduation from Central Saint Martins in 2014, this label draws inspiration from extensive cultural research and welcomes diverse viewpoints. Initially established as a menswear brand, Wales Bonner's heartfelt tailoring quickly evolved to include womenswear as well.
KIKO KOSTADINOV FOR KIKO KOSTADINOV
Kiko Kostadinov launched his own fashion brand in Spring/Summer 2016, featuring a collection inspired by uniforms and workwear. The Central Saint Martins graduate rapidly gained fame in the fashion world, known for his unique pattern cutting, precise garment making, and elegant designs.
KIM JONES FOR DIOR MEN
Kim Jones is no stranger in the fashion world, having started his journey back in 2003 with his eponymous label, later closing it down to work for Louis Vuitton, followed by Dior and Fendi as of right now. He has established himself as one of the most successful menswear designers currently.
MARTINE ROSE FOR MARTINE ROSE
Martine Rose is a label heavily influenced by hip hop, punk, reggae and dance music from the 90s, often showcasing their collections in very non-traditional spaces such as street markets and community gyms to further solidify the people and culture inspiration.
STEVEN STOKEY-DALEY FOR S.S.DALEY
Flirting with class ideologies, Daley, a working class boy from Liverpool, reinterprets the realm of British elitism via the institution of the British public school. "I think it's interesting, you know.. looking at codes, which historically belong to Harrow School for example, and figuring out their equivalents of the school culture I'm more familiar with."
BRITISH WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
ERDEM MORALIOĞLU FOR ERDEM
Erdem is a London-based independent fashion house producing womenswear. Established in 2005, the brand has carved out its unique identity embodying poetic and rigorous, timeless and versatile qualities.
MAXIMILIAN DAVIS FOR FERRAGAMO
Just over a year ago Maximilian Davis took over Ferragamo with the heavy task to resurrect the brand and attract a younger audience. Having worked with celebrities like Rihanna, Beyonce and Kim Kardashian, he had already built an arsenal of loyal customers willing to follow him on the journey of rediscovering the Ferragamo brand.
NENSI DOJAKA FOR NENSI DOJAKA
Albanian born Nensi Dojaka founded her eponymous brand soon after completing the MA program at Central Saint Martins in 2019. She was fortunate to have SSENSE (one of the biggest fashion retailers) buy her graduate collection, which catapulted her to fame and allowed her to keep producing more work. She's well known for producing contrasting outfits with sheer fabrics against matte black sensually hiding and exposing different parts of the body.
ROKSANDA ILINČIĆ FOR ROKSANDA
Roksanda is a well-established brand with over 10 years in business designing womenswear which questions traditional femininity and uses contrast with shapes, architectural sleeves, colour blocking and modern daring cuts to shape her ready-to-wear collections.
SIMONE ROCHA FOR SIMONE ROCHA
Simone Rocha is well known for the romanticism emanating from her work, with her use of pearls, tulle and embroidery. She draws inspiration from her heritage, art, history and literature, and often plays with the themes of identity and subversion, drawing inspiration from the past and twisting it into the modern world.
NEW ESTABLISHMENT - MENSWEAR
BIANCA SAUNDERS
Bianca Saunders addresses the tension between tradition and modernity, as well as between the masculine and the feminine. She takes inspiration from her British and Jamaican background, bringing a multi-disciplinary attitude which cross references cultures into modern evolution of menswear.
CORTEIZ
Corteiz, also known as CRTZ, is a brand based in West London that has rapidly gained acclaim since its establishment in 2017. Founded by the mysterious Clint, this brand has become renowned for its tight-knit community and unconventional marketing strategies. Corteiz specializes in crafting a variety of clothing items, including hoodies, t-shirts, and track suits, all of which are exclusively available through the brand's password-protected website.
LABRUM LONDON
Founded in 2014, Labrum London is a modern-day menswear brand telling the untold stories of West Africa to help bridge the gap between western and West African culture.
NICHOLAS DALEY
Nicholas Daley's work is deeply rooted in community, craftsmanship, and culture. After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2013, this London-based designer introduced his eponymous brand in 2015. His creative approach weaves together personal storytelling with broader themes related to the black British and diasporic experience.
SAUL NASH
Saul Nash is a designer, movement director and choreographer from North East London who over the past three years alone has been named an LVMH Prize semi-finalist, a NEWGEN recipient, a member of Highsnobiety’s THE NEXT 20 list, and most recently Recieved both the International Woolmark Prize 2022 & Queen Elizabeth II award for British Design in the Same Week.
NEW ESTABLISHMENT – WOMENSWEAR
CHOPOVA LOWENA
The Shopova Lowena duo is a ready-to-wear label that blends Bulgarian handcraft aesthetics, vibrant '80s rock climbing gear, and a rebellious punk attitude. Their collection features a fusion of patchwork pleated kilts held up by robust leather belts, embroidered puff-sleeved dresses, and eye-catching kaleidoscopic knits. Chopova Lowena's diverse offerings are daring, energetic, and entirely unique in their style.
DILARA FINDIKOĞLU
Dilara Findikoglu is a London-based contemporary womenswear designer who showcases her seasonal collections at London Fashion Week. She holds a significant influence by combining subcultural elements and incorporating them with relevant and timely social commentary on feminism, religion, and politics. Her distinct and instantly recognizable perspective on luxury fashion has positioned her as one of today's most discussed creative talents, earning critical acclaim from numerous publications.
KNWLS
KNWLS is a London-based fashion brand led by Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault. Founded in 2017 as Charlotte Knowles and rebranded in 2021, the label champions femininity as a sort of armor, drawing on lingerie and corsetry as the inspiration for its bold, sensual designs.
ROBERT WUN
The brand debuted their first runway show in Paris, January 2023, with the support of Bruno Pavlovsky at CHANEL. Robert became the first designer from Hong Kong to join the Haute Couture Calendar in its history, as a guest member of The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. The brand debuted their first runway show in Paris, January 2023, with the support of Bruno Pavlovsky at CHANEL. Robert became the first designer from Hong Kong to join the Haute Couture Calendar in its history.
SUPRIYA LELE
Supriya Lele is the creative force behind her eponymous label based in London. Her design ethos is profoundly influenced by her cross-cultural perspective, exploring her Indian heritage alongside her British cultural identity. Her creative process is distinctly feminine, weaving together a narrative that is nuanced and subtle, telling a captivating story through her work.
MODEL OF THE YEAR
ALTON MASON
ANOK YAI
KAI-ISAIAH JAMAL
LIU WEN
MONA TOUGAARD
PALOMA ELSESSER
