11 New British Fashion Designers to Get Excited About

The late, great Dame Vivienne Westwood once said, “Fashion is life-enhancing, and I think it’s a lovely, generous thing to do for other people.” Never before has that spirit of positivity been more present than with the new guard making Britain’s fashion scene buzz once more.

Attending the shows last September was a strange experience. It was supposed to be the first full, “proper” season since COVID-19 hit, but the atmosphere was solemn due to the schedule falling within the nation’s period of mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Despite a sombre tone to proceedings, there was still a palpable undercurrent of excitement around a slew of new names that many industry people—including myself—hadn’t yet heard of. Editors, stylists and buyers were as hyped up to see these young talents as they were for the big-ticket shows.

“London’s position as an international hub, combined with its host of best-in-class creative colleges and the support available here to young creatives, has reaffirmed the city as the home to an incredible new wave of talent. What makes them so exciting is that they each bring their own stories, their diverse and authentic backgrounds and their beliefs to the work that they are producing,” says Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council. “As we have emerged from the pandemic over the last few years and begun to reintegrate into normal life, there has been a surge of excitement, authenticity and collaboration that can be felt throughout the creative industries and its outputs. We are very proud of the fact that, post-pandemic, we have been able to raise over £2 million in funding through the BFC Foundation to continue to support future generations of creative talent here in the UK, and this year, we are very excited to be celebrating 30 years of our BFC NewGen initiative, one of the first talent-support schemes of its kind globally.”

To Westwood’s point, it’s taken a fresh batch of Gen Z talent to eschew the consumerist fashion models of old, and they’re using their creative processes, burgeoning profiles and networks to establish a new and more meaningful way of doing things. Sustainability, inclusivity and diversity are not marketing boxes to be ticked. They inform the starting points for their designs and are considered at every step along the way. Never before have I seen better representation on the runways—not just one plus-size model here or there to fulfill a baseline quota, but whole collections modelled by a variety of people who make up a far more accurate depiction of the general public. Many of us love clothes, getting dressed up and defining our identities through daily wardrobe choices, but never before have the high-fashion options felt so reachable and so varied. From artful column gowns to Victorian-inspired corsetry, ultra-luxe sportswear to gender-neutral tailoring, the up-and-coming designers below all offer a unique aesthetic and set of values to stand behind. Keep scrolling to learn more.