The new kids on the block
The fashion industry is glorious but this season a few bright young things have provided the remedy to the current glut of new talent out there. Designers such as Gareth Pugh, Christopher Kane and Giles (so unbearably cool that he dispensed of his surname – so last season) have surpassed expectations with not so much a new approach to, but with what feels like a much needed new take on fashion design. Fashionista Bethany Rax gives us a run-down on the coming season’s big players in the fashion world…

Incredibly well bred, all three come from the most lusted for womb that is Central St. Martins. Geniuses in their own right; Kane, Pugh and Deacon’s collections have stormed onto the catwalk, into our magazines and into our wardrobes through their ability to provide something different which, quite frankly, should rouse a sigh of relief from the fashion world. The backbones to the industry- the fashion houses – consistently provide us with mind-blowing, exquisite couture and stunning prêt-a-porter collections but this trio have shattered the formula by literally, in Gareth Pugh’s case inflating our expectations. ‘Ball Top’ was the key piece from his St. Martins graduation collection- five gigantic red-and-white satin-covered balloons designed to be, in Pugh’s words, “worn over jeans” (we wouldn’t want to be too eccentric now would we?) Never failing to shock, Pugh indulged us with a coat which will become the most discussed piece of the season. As the model approached the stage it became clear that a once innocent fur and leather adorned coat was actually decorated with large mink mice complete with some shifty looking red twinkling eyes- vrai or faux? Who knows, this is couture after all.

No shrinking violets this Autumn
Fading into the background for a fashion designer is almost as unacceptable as Beth Ditto taking her clothes off. Creating a scene however is not enough anymore, fashion is screaming for attention and if we want a beacon for these shock tactics we only have to turn our eyes to the man of many talents Giles Deacon. His unforgettable spring collection included treats such as a marabou feathered black helmet and more studs than Battersea dogs home. If we weren’t already willing to devote our wardrobes’-lives to him his Autumn/Winter 2007-8 collection awash with rivets, chain mail, and mammoth knits provided the final push.

Neon had never been done properly until Christopher Kane. The “nu-rave” trend that followed shortly after only has Kane to thank, or perhaps not, given that the model of the season, Agyness Deyn looked so unbelievable that everyone else’s efforts seemed exactly that: far too much effort and thus, completely futile. Given that Kane only graduated from St. Martins a mere 7 months ago, the fact that he has just completed his second appearance at LFW is almost as astonishing as the quality of the collection itself, which was about as far from a parish-hall, low budget, graduate collection as you could get with comparisons to Galliano, Versace and Alaia already being made. Beautiful is the first word that comes to mind when we hark back to Kane’s AW07/8 collection: a thirty-nine outfit strong masterpiece of garments with Rembrandt-inspired colourings, a fabulous display of the perfect balance between pleating and panelling and coats to make autumn seem less like a gateway to the hell that is winter and more of, yet another, opportunity to max out the credit card. Kane has proven himself to be one of the leaders of the fashion pack but it is clear that he will not stop there: in his Spring/Summer 2008 collection Kane built on the silhouette we saw in his previous collections with Steve Urwin inspired snake skin and, amusingly, Bon Jovi inspired ripped denims- a triumph in chiffon if there ever was one. Oh, and did I mention that 23 pieces of his collection were stolen just one week before he was due to show- is it any wonder that Kate Moss, Chloe Sevingy and Kylie are desperate to snap up a piece of Kane’s couture or that his Topshop collection sold out within two hours of going on sale?

A truly British threesome, spiffing!
Unstoppable wouldn’t be an exaggeration when it comes to describing this trio; every collection they send down the catwalk is met with the highest acclaim due to Giles, Pugh and Kane’s innate ability to keep to a signature style whilst including their fair share of flair in the form of oversized cubes placed over models’ heads. What is more, we should expect nothing less from a group of men who have won the hearts of Donatella, Kate and Kylie. Finally fashion has become eccentric again, but the key triumph of this threesome is the fact that we really can wear it. Okay, so maybe we won’t be buying fake deceased vermin to stitch to our winter coats and buying up Woolworth’s supply of glitter for our very own headdress’ but without these touches it just wouldn’t be London fashion week. As a nation we are known for our eccentricity when it comes to dressing, we may not have the Parisian style gene or the Italian flair for tailoring but these three young men have created a dynamic, futuristic vision for British Fashion.