EXCLUSIVE| SS15 Ones to Watch Winners Announced

Fashion Scout, the international showcase for fashion innovation, can now announce Cassandra Verity Green, Keiko Nishiyama, Min Wu and Youjia Jin as the SS15 Ones To Watch designers.

Cassandra Verity Green

Taking inspiration from her personal experience, emotion and memory, knitwear designer Cassandra Verity Green’s body of work is one that intertwines a playful sensibility with innocence. Recently graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2013, the technique driven designer has gained sponsorship from Spinexpo and Santoni Shanghai and already caught the attention of press among the likes of Dazed and Confused and Hunger.

Keiko Nishiyama

Japanese born Keiko Nishiyama graduated from MA fashion design at London College of Fashion in 2013 before starting up her label. Showing her graduate collection to positive review, her designs play with imbalance and are crafte from delicate hand-drawn prints. Her attention to detail and innovative work have already been featured in publications such as i-D Magazine. 

Min Wu

Min Wu designs her collections with a bold modern woman in mind. Interlacing lines and fluid shapes to create strong visual contrast, she was a part of our graduate showcase in September 2013. An individual who strived to explore the original beauty that is born from the deliberate combination of functional materials, with particular emphasis on technology and the reflection of this in the world today, we look forward to seeing what she brings to the One to Watch showcase in September.

Youjia Jin

Youjia Jin, fashion designer and buyer, graduated with an MA in womenswear from the London College Of Fashion this year. Having been previously educated at Central Saint Martins and the Beijing Institute of Fashion and Technology, she was awarded a top 10 menswear designer award in China. Her previous collections have received huge praise from top UK and international press, including that of British Vogue, British GQ, i-D and iLOOK Magazine.

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Instrumental in raising the profile of emerging design on a global scale, the Ones to Watch show is the first place to see the very best in up and coming talent. Always one of the most anticipated shows of the season, they were selected by a panel of industry experts, including Hilary Alexander, Robert Cavell-Clarke of Not Just A Label, Judith Tolley of CFE London, Fashion Scout alumni Phoebe English, our Ones to Watch stylist Rebekah Roy, and Martyn Roberts Fashion Scout’s director.

Be sure to keep up to date with everything SS15 on the blog, our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

By Josh Walker, Editor, (@josh_walker_)
Images, courtesy of the designers.

SS15 PREVIEW| NATALIEBCOLEMAN

A graduate of the Limerick School of Art & Design, Central St Martins and having gained experience in places among the likes of New York and Iceland, Natalie Coleman's design background is certainly impressive. Showing her SS15 collection with us this season, Coleman has already been featured in the likes of Harpers Bazaar, Company and Marie Claire. In an introduction to the designer previews that will feature on the Fashion Scout blog over the coming weeks, she gives us a preview of what we can expect to see in September.

Fashion Scout: How would you describe the NATALIEBCOLEMAN aesthetic?

Natalie Coleman: Feminine, romantic, flirtatious, fun. Full of gorgeous prints and beautiful fabrics. When I'm asked in interviews who the NATALIEBCOLEMAN customer is, my answer is simple and always the same. She is the coolest girl in the room.

FS: You’ve interned for a number of labels in a number of amazing places. How do these places you’ve visited and where you’ve worked inspire your work?

NC: New York is always one of my favourite places to go and the label is just launching there this season so I love having more excuses to trip over. Working for ThreeAsFour was hectic but so much fun, they had a massive glitter ball and shared my love of Dolly so all good! Iceland was beautiful, so quiet and stunning. I spent so much time in the evenings developing print ides and sketching as it was light almost 24 hours a days! 

FS: What, without giving too much away, can we expect to see from you for SS15?

NC: ‘Be Still My Bleeding Heart’ is dedicated to my Mother, Bridie, as this year is her 20th Anniversary. One of my main inspirations came from the Sacred Heart and from this I painted a rose with black ink lines falling from it. This then developed the drawings into prints that feel fragile, feminine and evocative but playful too. The SS15 collection is beautiful, romantic and light, made with luxurious printed and textured fabrics and amazingly detailed finish. I wanted a collection full of pieces that my customers can put on and feel instantly good in, knowing that she looks cool, effortless and elegant. 

FS: Are there any particular themes or ideas that you carry across all of your seasons?

NC: I always have a strong narrative. Each collection is like a diary page for me so I get a lot of inspiration from mine and my friends love affairs which helps bring a quirky light edge to the collection. We are obsessed with the best quality, cut, drape and finish and we generally develop our story with print each season. 

FS: What do you believe are the key elements that combine to create a quality, standout collection? 

NC: I think it has to come from a place of truth, something that is unique and fresh to the label. 

FS: You’ve sent through some illustrations and mood boards. How important are these to your creation process?

NC: I always start with writing my story and then developing print ideas and shapes - so super important.

FS: How do you feel to be showcasing with Fashion Scout this season, in the city of London? 

NC: We are very excited and feel it is a perfect time and space to show NATALIEBCOLEMAN.

Interview by Josh Walker, Editor, (@josh_walker_).
Images, courtesy of Natalie Coleman.

NEWS| Dioralop, Mariana Jungmann, Bernard Chandran and Rohmir Confirmed For Fashion Scout SS15

Fashion Scout are pleased to announce the addition of more designers to our London schedule.

With the Fashion Scout SS15 schedule already being filled with the careful selection of UK and International designers joining the September showcase, including Apu Jan, Little Shilpa and Vita Gottlieb, we are able to confirm more designers:

Dioralop

Mariana Jungmann

Bernard Chandran

Rohmir

Dioralop, brainchild of design duo Andreja Bistricic and Maja Merlic is a Croatian label based in Zagreb. Dioralop collections are inspired by polaroid pictures, composed from spilt chemicals which are exposed to different temperatures creating unique and innovative patterned prints. Bistricic's eye for cut and experimentation with deconstruction perfectly combines with Merlic's print and textile expertise as a formidable design team.

Mariana Jungmann is a new addition to the Fashion Scout line-up. Moving in London in 2011 to start a graduate diploma from the London College of Fashion, she continued and completed her MA before setting up her own label. Inspired by Renaissance lace for its role in her life from infancy, the geometric and floral shapes taught her to embrace the world from a different perspective. 

Bernard Chandran translated an aesthetic clearly harnessed in menswear to create sophisticated, feminine silhouettes. The show opened with the illusion of a three piece suit which revealed itself to be an elegant all-in-one. “It’s all about the one look” explains Chandran, “the woman could be running the country or being a housewife… The garment speaks for itself”. 

Rohmir presented with us during the SS14 season, in which "a classic silhouette was the cornerstone of Rohmir SS14. Femininity and fierceness were juxtaposed through animalistic prints and heavy embellishments that accentuated the hourglass figure. Plunging necklines, perfect evening wear and midnight hues closed the show to rapturous applause.

Keep up to date with everything Fashion Scout in-between now and fashion week on our Twitter and Instagram, as well as our blog.

Images, courtesy of the designers.