New York paraded bold accents and larger-than-life statement pieces on the runway. London followed suit with vibrant prints and dazzling accessories. Right inside the London stadium, Fashion Show Live highlights exciting upcoming brands stirring up attention within the industry. The show is a homage to the small independent labels collectively shaping the fashion future.
As London Fashion Week marks its 40th anniversary, we are constantly reminded of how the fashion landscape will reinvent itself. While eyes have fervently followed the models showcasing these designs, many noted them as brands to watch.
We caught up with two of the fourteen talented designers at Fashion Show Live where they discussed the inspirations behind the collections, their brand identity and how they feel being a part of this showcase.
Designer: Shonagh
Brand: SHONE
Founded during the pandemic, SHONE was able to create chic, unique designs using plant-based yarn. Shonagh, the architect behind the label, desired to create a space for customers to express themselves. Her designs made their way to RuPaul Drag Race All Stars 7 as The Vivenne flaunted a bespoke knitted gown.
Can you explain the inspiration behind your collection?
This collection is titled girlhood nostalgia. So it’s all about reconnecting with that inner child. For me, it was something I found therapeutic when I was going through a hard time. Essentially, it is me just making friends with that little girl and enjoying the things she enjoyed because I think it brings a purer sense of happiness. In doing that, it kind of liberated me from the difficult time I was going through. I think that is important to do as adults.
What is the wider message you hope to achieve with your designs?
I think I just wanted people to have more fun with fashion. I believe it’s incredibly liberating to do that and reconnect with their inner child. You know, the world we live in at the moment is quite bleak and that carefree approach to life is being replaced with stress and anxiety. Living as an adult can be difficult so I want to provide people with an outlet and hopefully for them to have a bit of fun with it.
I loved your decision to use plant-based yarn. Recently, we have seen numerous brands embrace sustainability. I’m intrigued to find out what inspired you to use this material.
Sustainability and veganism are core values in my personal life so it was always important for that to be reflected in my brand and my business. Looking at the effects of fast fashion and just so many materials out there that are toxic and detrimental to the planet, I was really keen to go against that. Most materials used for knitting are either animal-based wool or the alternative: synthetic plastic-based fibres. Both of them have a negative impact on the planet. So, I use my own nylon which is a plant-based alternative to traditional nylon. It’s a relatively new material and an exciting one in the fashion industry. For me it’s perfect, it’s sustainably made, sustainably sourced, and it uses a closed-loop system so 99% of the water is reused. It also has enhanced biodegradability which means if these were to end up in a landfill, which they inevitably will like any other piece of clothing,
they will biodegrade within those conditions within 5 years rather than 100 years. So, I feel like in having a fashion brand, people have a responsibility to be sustainable because we all have a footprint and I feel so much better creating things knowing that they are not going to harm the planet.
At first glance, your designs appear to be quite whimsical and feminine. I was interested in the inspiration behind the colour palette.
Well, I really enjoy playing with design, colour, and texture. Particularly, contrasting the chunky yarn and creating a lace-like formation since obviously they are quite thick and bold but are also very intricate. And I think this is why they have this surreal element because it kind of doesn’t make sense – the two things kind of juxtapose each other. It’s often been likened to an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme or a dreamlike aesthetic which I really like. So the colour palette was based on the concept of girlhood nostalgia. I love pastel colours. I’ve always loved white gowns and wedding dresses. The collection was inspired by that but the soft palette makes it almost delicious in a way and again, dreamlike.
This collection is an ode to childhood and girlhood nostalgia. Any advice you would give your younger self?
I would say – it might sound cliché – to just believe in yourself. You know, I’ve always had quite a lot of self-esteem issues. I think that it’s quite sad to look back at a little girl and for her to have felt so insecure at such a young age. If I knew what I was doing now at that young age, I can’t tell you how much that would’ve meant to me. So, just keep going, believe in yourself, and enjoy creativity. And yeah, just be happy.
Are there any designers that inspire you?
I mean the reason why I got into fashion were the iconic Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. They are the classics and that is where my passion started. I’ve always watched runway shows at a really young age. I’ve always absolutely loved high fashion. They were definitely two of the designers that stood out to me the most. Other designers such as Iris Van Herpen, she was another significant figure in developing my passion, using that texture and being so intricate, beautiful, and feminine. She has such a unique approach to fashion. I think that inspired my designs a lot because they are also unique, feminine, and girly, with a lot of texture. Although they are very different, they have similarities.
Designer: Nafeesa
Brand: Noor by Nafeesa
Noor by Nafeesa is a collection of versatile Indian and Arabic-inspired pieces. Nafeesa’s fashion journey began with watching her grandmother sew. From there, she has stitched colourful and eclectic designs, representing a fusion of her heritage. Shrouded in her designs are intricate details which hint at her cultural pride.
And what’s the inspiration behind your designs?
I grew up in a household where my grandma always told me about sewing. She said it was important for women to sew. So from 15, 16 I was sewing my own clothes. The actual collection is very much a reflection of the colours within the Arab world. There is also an Indian fusion as well, so it’s a real hybrid. Everything is very bright, very happy. I think it kind of fits with the theme of optimism. A lot of the dresses are quite long, so it’s about modesty as well. There’s really an option for everyone. We’ve got some shorter pieces and some longer pieces, really inspired by the Arab world.
This collection is very vibrant and bright. I was interested in the inspiration behind the colour palette.
So I initially started with a lime green colour palette. And I really liked it colour-wise. Then I started thinking about what connects to it. All of the colours are quite psychedelic. So I guess it adds that kind of surreal feeling to my work as well.
You’ve talked about how your collection and designs are influenced by Arab world, alongside an Indian fusion. In what way has your heritage been weaved into your designs?
Yeah, that’s a really good question. I would say that the Arabic design is really present in the longer dresses. I mean there is one in particular which is very much an abaya piece, an inside abaya.
A lot of the hair pieces that I’ve designed to go in the dresses, again, they’re inspired by the Arab world.
And the inside dresses, contrary to belief, are quite bright underneath the traditional black abaya. So a lot of it’s now on the show. With regard to the Indian influence, I’ve got the Buddha beads, the wooden beads, which are huge in Indian culture. I’ve got loads of bangles that you can see here. I’ve got a headpiece as well, so it’s very much a fusion of my heritage.
You mentioned that your grandmother encouraged you to sew and kind of taught you the trade. What was the biggest advice that she gave you that influenced your journey into fashion?
Yeah, she always told me to make my own clothes. That was the one thing she always used to tell me, don’t buy from the retailers. And that was all about independence of style and having ownership. And the other thing, a more practical thing, is that she never used to sew from a pattern, and neither do I. You know, I cut off hand, and this is kind of reflected in the designs as well. On a more philosophical level, I’d say my grandma always told me that anything you believe in is possible. And I guess being here is something I only imagined, and yeah, it is possible.
I like that you shared that your grandma would say anything is possible because the theme for this show is also optimism. In what way has your collection embodied the theme of optimism?
I would say the colour palette is very vibrant and very bright. So in that respect, it kind of embodies the theme of optimism. I think if you look more closely at the details, I’ve kind of mentioned the Buddha’s head and you can see the hand of Fatima here. Again, they are symbols of protection and optimism. I think this all embodies optimism because it reflects my mindset because of what she said, you know, anything in life is possible.
Are there any designers that inspire you?
Yeah, I quite like Alexander McQueen when he was designing and he is somebody who is a huge inspiration, I guess because of the eclectic colours on his runaway. I would say that and maybe Versace as well just because of the silky fabrics that you find in his designs.
I’m curious about your choice to use satin in several of these pieces. Is this a reflection of the Arab influences?
Yeah, sometimes the inside dresses are made from poly satin which is often used to make the inside dress but it’s also incredibly wearable so you can put this in the wash at 30 degrees and it’ll still be fine. I think one of the issues with dresses, is sometimes you can’t find things on the high street that wash well. It’s a real problem for women. You want to look nice, but then it’s going to be expensive to clean, but all of these can go in a low wash.
Written by: Abim Adegbembo