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Lulu Kennedy, founder of talent incubator Fashion East, has given many young fashion designers a home for their collections and ideas. Her list includes Charlotte Knowles, Nancy Dojaka, Roksanda Ilinci and more – all designers now showing on the official London Fashion Week calendar.
So it’s no surprise that the three new designers she represents this season – Standing Ground, Jawara Alleyne and Carolyn Vito – have all decided to focus on the idea of ​​home away from home.
Michael Stewart, the man behind Standing Ground, stood his ground by presenting an independent approach before the common runway, which has become a formula for the designers of Fashion East. His models stand like statuesque columns in draped gowns in the middle of a bare concrete room.
“I’m inspired by very ancient landscapes and artifacts, especially from Ireland where I’m from, where they dot the landscape,” Stewart says.
Jamaican-born designer Alleyn wrote a story around a collection about a boat crashing into a pirate ship to comment on contemporary cultural decline.
“I feel it’s perfect for London and the state we’re in in the world right now, with everything colliding, from Brexit, to COVID, to the Queen dying,” the designer said backstage.
The light and airy chiffon dresses he displayed were an ode to what most people wore in his country.
“The way we dress in the Caribbean is very simple and we have a lot of upcycling, recycling and creativity in our lifestyle,” said Alleyne, who collects fabric from friends, haberdasheries and vintage shops.
Brazilian designer Vito made London her home when she moved five years ago to study at Central Saint Martins. Her work was always personal before it was about profit. She founded her label in 2020 and has since pushed to create more sensual clothing for plus-size women.
“Brazilians are known for showing skin and thinking about beach bodies was always an issue for me as a kid,” Vito says candidly, adding that she’s a size 14 or 16 because she gravitates between the two.
Her mission was to understand how clothes felt on her body before presenting them to her friends and family.
“From here, the experience of dressing has turned into an image practice,” she said.
Vito works primarily with viscose and silk jerseys for movement purposes – she wants her clients to be able to move freely but still hold the shape of their body.
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