London Fashion Week - Ones to Watch

London Fashion Week - Ones to Watch

18 January, 2010
by: Tom Jeffreys

London Fashion Week is nearly upon us again. Spoonfed's Culture Editor, Tom Jeffreys, selects the ones to watch for Autumn/Winter 2010.

DAKS – 20th February
DAKS – the name a conflation of 'Dad' and 'Slacks' – is a quintissentially English label, specialising in the classical and elegant. Italian designer Filippo Scuffi injects a smidgeon of pizzazz into the historic brand.

Fashion East – 20th February
Set up by the peeps at the Old Truman Brewery in 2000, Fashion East gives opportunites to the UK's boldest young fashion talent. This year's designers are Heikki Salonen, Michael van der Ham and Nasir Masir.

House of Holland – 20th February
Ex-Bliss fashion editor, friend of Princess Agy and ubiquitous London party-goer, Henry Holland set up his label after the surprise success of his playful sloganned t-shirts. Inspiration for A/W 2010 comes, apparently, from “Snoop Dogg, Biggles and Ghetto”.

Margaret Howell – 21st February
Renowned for her attention to detail, quality fabrics, and understated aethetic, Margaret Howell is in some ways the anti-fashion fashion designer. For A/W 2010 expect a contemporary approach to traditional techniques and materials.

Aquascutum – 21st February
Named after the Latin for “water shield”, Aquascutum produced the first waterproof wool in 1853, and today are still best known for their fabulous trench coats: like Burberry for the more discerning. This season, womenswear designer Michael Herz is inspired by The French Lieutenant's Woman and JMW Turner's stormy seas. 

Christopher Kane – 22nd February
Since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2006, Glasgow-born Christopher Kane has seen his career go stratospheric. As well as his ever-innovative own label, Kane has worked with the likes of Versace, Beth Ditto and Kylie Minogue. Expect fireworks and yet more “best collection ever” reviews.

Erdem – 22nd February
Known for his elegantly feminine dresses and sumptuous prints, Erdem is at the forefront of the current crop of young London-based designers. Worn by the likes of Keira Knightely, Kirsten Dunst, Caludia Schiffer and Chloe Sevigny, Erdem's designs are classy and undeniably beautiful.

Jonathan Saunders – 23rd February
Since bursting onto the fashion scene in 2003, Jonathan Saunders has swiftly emerged as one of the leading lights of the London fashion scene. Graphic prints and dazzling colour combinations are a constant, while the hard edge of his early collections has given way to something a little more restrained and subtle.

Central Saint Martins – 23rd February
The MA Fashion course at Central Saint Martins is the only graduate show at London Fashion Week, and with good reason. Consistently experimental, ground-breaking and influential, it's always worth keeping a careful eye on graduates from London's most famous fashion college.

Tim Soar – 24th February
Launched as recently as 2006, Tim Soar's menswear label has quickly established itself as one of the most complex and innovative around. Subtle and daring at the same time, Soar combines painstaking tailoring with elements of sportswear while keeping the whole aesthetic sleek and minimal. He'll be a household name sooner rather than later.

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Image credit 1: Tim Soar S/S10
Image credit 2: Aquascutum

Tom Jeffreys