Future Optimism was the theme given to the 15 young
designers of the FAD catwalk show who had the opportunity to compete for vital
funding as well as top industry placements. The collections seen on the runway
represent the aspiring designers’ take on optimistic design solutions for the
next decade.
With influential industry professionals in attendance the
designers were given the platform here at Fashion Scout to showcase their
creativity to an excited audience. The Fashion Awareness Direct gives young
creatives a step into the fashion industry. The show proved to be a goldmine of
incredible potential with collections from Matthew O’Brien, Lucinda Roberts,
Stephanos Konstantinou, Robert Mills, Stephanie Kitchen, Joseph Horton, Chelsey
Crossland, Louis Alderson-Bythell, Aysha Simpson, Nneka Okorie, Kimberly
Phillips, Laura Chittenden, Anna Kim, Estella Nerinskaite and Morwenna Darwell.
Second runner up, menswear designer Nneka Okorie proved a
sophisticated technique of tailoring with a new take on the masculine
silhouette and beautifully printed landscapes. Whilst Stephanos Konstantinou ,
who came first runner up, used negative
space to reinvent patterns and turn tailoring literally upside down.
Winner Stephanie Kitchen shone as the star and ones to watch
who looked at the brief from a sophisticated yet whimsical perspective with
colours and textures in a perfect balance.
The winners of the FAD and its participants have gone on to
do wonderful things in the fashion industry and make their name on the scene
both on and off the high street.
Vanessa Omoregie, @wewearblack
Images by Bex Day (@Rebecca_Day)
Images by Bex Day (@Rebecca_Day)