SS15 PREVIEW| Ming

A brand focused on contemporary womenswear and known for their attention to sharp detail, clean lines and subtle manipulation of textures, London based Ming will be the first designer to take to the Fashion Scout catwalk next week. Having curated a strong aesthetic, wearable garments and clean cut pieces bring a fresh take to design season after season. In a preview of what we can expect to see for SS15, Ming talks what makes a strong aesthetic and showcasing with Fashion Scout. 

Fashion Scout: How would you describe the Ming aesthetic?

Ming: A mixture of clean silhouette and complex fabrications. 

FS: What’s the story behind your SS15 collection?

M: The collection is inspired by the novel "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. From my interpretation, it is about daily lives and encounters, numerous incidents which occur and the inevitable, death. 

FS: How is this collection a progression from your past collections?

M: This collection is more minimalistic on the surface yet contains complex inner constructions.

FS: You seem to build a very streamlined aesthetic through pieces that have clean lines and silhouettes. What is it for you that makes a strong garment?

M: At this stage, I still think of myself as a story teller. My collections reflect my thoughts in different stages of life and I want them to be as honest as possible.

FS: How do you go about designing a collection? How does it start and progress to the final product?

M: I start by pulling inspiration from different sources of research, I then start sourcing fabrics, designing and sampling all at the same time because of limited time and then of course the collection is manufactured.  

FS: How does it feel to be showcasing with Fashion Scout again this season?

M: I am looking forward to it very much! There are different ways of presenting a collection and I think live show/presentation is the best way for the story to come across.

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

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT SS15| Apu Jan

Apu Jan will be showing with Fashion Scout for the fourth consecutive season this month, having previously shown his ‘Petroleum’, ‘The Signal’ and ‘Turbulence’ collections to critical acclaim.

Taiwanese Apu Jan, now based in London, graduated from the Royal College of Art with an MA in Fashion Womenswear, specialising in knitwear. For Jan, knitwear provides an opportunity to create a whole new world using just thread without the need for additional materials, a world in which imagination meets sophistication and history takes a flight of fancy.

Commended by the likes of Vogue, Wallpaper* and i-D, traditional oriental myths receive a modern interpretation, realised in fluid silhouettes, Eastern-inspired beauty looks and a restrained colour palette with one bold accent hue. Wearable separates emblazoned with modern prints by Ying Wu make for commercial collections, a touch of the avant-garde present in deep v necks, voluminous collars and peekaboo millinery.

Speaking about his childhood, Jan states that he always loves creativity, arts and crafts, reading books and watching films in particular, but can’t say that he always saw his career path lie in design. But a BA in Textile Design at Fu Jen University brought out an undeniable talent for turning mythical inspirations into fringed, frilled and draped knitwear of the most elegant kind. ‘There are so many stories I would like to develop into clothing; some of them have been in my mind for a while…. Once the story has matured I will start to design clothes and let them speak’.

Apu Jan will take to the Fashion Scout catwalk on Sunday 14th at 11:30am.

By Isabella Silvers, Contributor, (@izzymks).

Images, by Oliver Savage.

SS15 PREVIEW| FAD

On Tuesday 16th September, the last day of our fashion showcase, FAD will not only see 23 young people from London and Manchester take their designs to the catwalk, but will be celebrating 10 years of their Fashion Futures project.

FAD, or Fashion Awareness Direct, aim to bridge the gap between careers and the creative industries for young people - regardless of circumstance or background. Providing hands-on training, industry experience and opportunities to individuals, the support and mentoring FAD offer is invaluable.

“FAD have so many professionals coming in, helping us and giving their knowledge," says Shalom, last year's Fashion Futures finalist. "It has taught me to be more ambitious – in order to achieve your goals you have to think big and be prepared to work hard.”

   

Working closely with key names in the fashion industry, knowledge and confidence about career pathways and employment opportunities becomes a key part. 

"FAD have been showcasing with Fashion Scout since 2008," says Maria Alvarez, Executive Director of FAD. "For us it's a perfect fit. Fashion Scout's commitment to nurturing emerging designers works perfectly with FAD's aim to support young people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds into industry. Being given a platform at Fashion Scout is simply life changing for many of the young people we work with."

Be sure to check back to the blog throughout Fashion Week for show reviews, as well as exclusive interviews and backstage coverage and as it happens.

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

SS15 PREVIEW| Dioralop

Andreja Bistricic and Maja Merlic are the Croatian duo behind the edgy fashion label Dioralop. With qualifications in textiles and technology, womenswear design and experience interning at Alexander McQueen studio, Andreja’s work is complimented by Maja’s architectural background. The pair are best known for their texturally rich and graphically printed constructions. The Dioralop founders have offered us a sneak preview of their upcoming collection and a behind the scenes look at their work.

Fashion Scout: What can we expect to see in the SS15 Dioralop collection?

Dioralop: Our collections are always inspired by Polaroid pictures which were created by intentional spills of chemicals and by exposing them to different temperatures. This way the pictures become different colours. Play off of Polaroids is our signature in every collection as we think this technique has inexhaustible number of the most unpredictable colour combinations. This season our prints are a bit different. We lost colours and patterns are the only thing left. Again, we are playing with losing the difference between genders and androgyny, so you can expect to see a few boys walking down the catwalk.  

FS: How would you describe this season's narrative/themes?

D: We have two main themes this season. Our first sources of inspiration are the original skinheads of the 1960s. The skinhead movement itself was started by working-class youths in England. Instead of opting for the flamboyant, fancy-dress escapism of the Mod and Teddy Boy youth cults before them, the skinheads embraced working-class fashion: cropped hair, meant-to-last shoes and boots, white T-shirts and worn Levis. They also borrowed from their working-class West Indian neighbours, adopting trilby hats and crombie jackets, peg-legged striped suits and a love for ska, the Jamaican music that mixed Latin beats and American jazz melodies and was the forerunner of modern reggae. The original skinheads loved to dance to these ska beats, often frequented all-black nightclubs and had, by the end of the decade, several Jamaican "skinhead reggae" records and bands they loyally supported.

Our second source of inspiration comes from head-to-toe tattooed women of the 1920s.

According to scientists, the earliest record of tattoos was found in 1991 on the frozen remains of a Copper Age 'Iceman' dating from about 3300 B.C., the art of tattooing has been practiced in Japan - for beautification, magic, and to mark criminals - since around the fifth century B.C. By the end of the Twenties, American circuses employed over 300 people with full-body tattoos who earned up to $200 per week.

FS: Describe briefly the design process from conception to show day.

D: Every season we experiment with Polaroid prints, and we never know where it is going to end. The same principle is used until the final product. Sometimes we like to surprise ourselves. We are just spectators of our own work and our design process - which is fun!

FS: Is there any stand out piece in the collection that you're most excited about?

D: We are definitely excited about digitally printed pieces complemented with embroidery.

FS: What kind of woman do you design for?

D: Uncompromising, aware and individual.

FS: What is the most exciting thing about showcasing with Fashion Scout?
D: Fashion Scout platform gives great opportunity to young designers around the world to showcase their collections to fashion insiders. We have been a part of Fashion Scout Paris showroom for two seasons now and we met amazing people and made great connections, so we are really thrilled to have an opportunity to have a catwalk show to bring our work to the next level.

By Lia Stokes, Contributor, (@LiaStokes).

Images, courtesy of Dioralop.

EXCLUSIVE| The Fashion Scout London Exhibition Returns for SS15

This September, from the 12^th to the 16^th, Fashion Scout’s London exhibition will return by popular demand with an exciting selection of the newest UK and international talent. To be held at the Freemasons’ Hall, Covent Garden, the exhibition will run for the duration of Fashion Scout’s residency at London Fashion Week.

Open to all fashion industry, press and buyers the Fashion Scout exhibition is the best place to see a curated selection of the best designer's work up close and meet the designers themselves.

This season the Fashion Scout London exhibition will display the new season collections of 13 designers, including our Merit Award Winner Gyo Yuni Kimchoe and the Ones to Watch winners. The full list of designers exhibiting are:

Cassandra Verity Green

Cats Brothers

Grainne Maher

Gyo Yuni Kimchoe

Homo Consommatus

Keiko Nishiyama

Mairi Macdonald

Min Wu

Momo Wang

NatalieBColeman

Soojin Lee

Youjia Jin

ZDDZ

There will also be a pop up rolling exhibition that will feature a new selection of designers each day. Look out for the announcement of these shortly.

You can view the designers full profiles now on the Fashion Scout website here.

For more information, or to attend the Fashion Scout London Exhibition, email press@fashionscoutevent.com.

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT SS15| Jamie Wei Huang

A womenswear designer who combines the conceptual with the modern, it's no wonder why the work of Jamie Wei Huang has been so quick to catch the eye of the industry. Selected as one of the top five finalists for the international Designer for Tomorrow award, personally mentored by Stella McCartney and gaining full sponsorship for her SS14 show at Mercedes Benz Berlin Fashion Week, Huang’s label is one which prides itself on creating streamlined clothing for the contemporary woman.

Last season, Huang's AW14 showcase on the Fashion Scout catwalk brought together the delicate nature of the label with militant precision to portray the resourcefulness that war dictates. Through material, light, functionality and form, leathers and wools were paired with features focused on functionality in the creation of a thoroughly impressive collection of garments.

Using fashion as a visual language to explore the self through material, texture and cut, it's these elements that combine again and again to create her signature aesthetic. Having gained experience under both Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane, as well as working as a costume designer for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic closing ceremonies, we have no doubt that the work Jamie Wei Huang brings to the catwalk this season will be as beautiful as ever.

 

By Josh Walker, Editor, (@josh_walker_).