CATWALK: David Koma, Holly Fulton, Louise Gray, Michael van der Ham, Christopher Shannon (NEWGEN MEN) and James Long (NEWGEN MEN)
PRESENTATION: Christopher Raeburn, Craig Lawrence, Dominic Jones, J.W Anderson (NEWGEN and NEWGEN MEN), Nasir Mazhar, Lou Dalton and New Power Studio.
INSTALLATION: Jordan Askill, SISTER by SIBLING (SIBLING for NEWGEN MEN), Katie Eary (NEWGEN MEN) and Dr. Noki (NEWGEN MEN).
EXHIBITION: Felicity Brown, James Long, J. JS Lee, Palmer//Harding, Thomas Tait and Tim Soar Woman.
NEWGEN is the British design initiative that gives struggling designers a leg-up over the barbed wire, electrocuted, MI5 laser-impenetrable fence that lines the perimeters of the fashion industry. Waiting with their hands poised for the sprinting designers to leap up from are a selection of consultants and a panel spanning some of the most revered industry figureheads in the UK from Sarah Mower to Tim Blanks, Lulu Kennedy to Yasmin Sewell, Melanie Rickey to Karen Langley. Led by the British Fashion Council and sponsored by Philip Green’s little known retail venture Topshop, the initiative supports and nurtures the imaginations and outstanding skills of London’s newest blood. Growing from strength to strength NEWGEN has, over the years, held the hands of Giles, Christopher Kane, Erdem, Peter Pilotto and Jonathan Saunders, to name a few and continues to dominate our London Fashion Week schedule with standing innovation talent.
Last night the BFC and Topshop hosted an announcement evening swarming with familiar fashion faces including Alexandra Shulman, Franca Sozzani, Louise Wilson, Lulu Kennedy, Tim Blanks and Natalia Vodianova showing their support for the future of British fashion. Sarah Mower announced the winners with an elaborate Olympic metaphor, drawing comparisons between fashion design and competitive athletics, while Topman Creative Director Gordon Richardson announced the menswear winners. i-D Online spoke with Sarah Mower, Louise Gray and David Koma afterwards (see film). We also grabbed Gordon Richardson who, in turn, grabbed Thom Murphy (New Power Studio) for a quick chat!
Gordon: So Tom, tell me what New Power Studio is all about?
Thom: It’s a London based menswear label.
Gordon: Well yes but it’s slightly more than that, it has an ethos, a spirit and a whole life that you’ve created, tell me about that…
Thom: Thank you. Yeah we’re trying to inject lots of different cultural references through the presentations. Too many references to name in fact.
Gordon: Can you give anything away about the new collection?
Thom: I’m trying to move it in a different direction, just pushing forward as much as I possibly can, until you get sick of it!
