On the penultimate day of Fashion Scout we caught up with Fashion Scout Director Martyn Roberts to get his thoughts on this season's showcase.
How has Fashion Scout this season progressed from previous seasons?
It has been very successful. We've had some great new designers which is wonderful to see. For a little while there were not a lot of new designers coming through. It's also been great to see our designers developing from previous seasons. We have had some great media this season, and some fantastic buyers coming to our shows.
Do you have any personal highlights from this season?
Our Merit Award winner. I am very proud of our Merit winner. Xiao Li’s collection was stunning and highly creative, she kept true to herself and pushed barriers. I think she is going to be very successful. I have really enjoyed all of the collections this season.
What can we expect to see from Fashion Scouts Paris and Kiev showrooms?
In Paris we will have all of the collections that we have shown in London but in a showroom setting. Guests will be able to see the collections up close, talk to the designers and buy the clothes. We also have new designers showing in our Paris showroom including Nathan French who has some fantastic designs. He's created his entire collection using feathers. In Kiev, we will have a new range of designers, all from that region showing their collections in a showroom setting. It's very exciting.
What does the future hold for Fashion Scout?
We will carry on supporting and showcasing the best new British talent as well as showcasing International designers. Creativity is not just confined to one country, London is the heart of creativity but its about bringing a worldwide creative industry to London and that in turn will make us stronger.
How important is the blog team in the day to day running of Fashion Scout?
Our social media team is vital. They are the first people to see and review every show, they are the first to receive all of the backstage information and images. If someone misses a show they can see it all on the blog which is why it is so important. All anyone has to do is log onto the blog and it's all there. All of our hair and makeup crew and our writers and photographers are crucial to the success of Fashion Scout. Fashion Scout is a place to celebrate all of this creative work. Fashion isn’t just about design, its about celebrating all creative aspects of this process.
How do you feel about Fashions Scout's growing success?
Very proud. The team are so passionate and dedicated to showcasing exciting new talent. We are all here to help designers reach for their dreams.
By Charlotte Muscat, (@CharlotteLM9)
Image by Sim D, (@SimD_8), taken on the fashion forward LumixGM1 (@PanasonicUK).