From flamboyant creations to edgy prints, the face of British womenswear is set to be changed by these young designers. Watch out, Mses McCartney and Bartley
Trad with a twist
Abbie Shaw, right, with her muse Jane Rutter, a student at the Royal College of Art
Abbie Shaw, 24, is from Hailsham in East Sussex. She studied womenswear at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication in Kent before completing an MA in womenswear at the Royal College of Art in June.'There’s nothing like seeing your clothes on the catwalk, and I was lucky enough to be selected to show my collection at the Ravensbourne graduate show [only half of the degree students are invited]. I enjoyed it so much that it fired me on to do my MA.
'Now that I have finished studying, I’d love to work for Marc Jacobs, Chloé or Luella. I’d like the experience of working for a top fashion house, plus I think my quirky style would complement theirs.
'I’m really inspired by Martin Parr and his photographs of the British public in very traditional situations – like old ladies sitting on a freezing English beach! His pictures feature almost-edible pastel colours, which I like to use in my work. Sometimes I like to give my fabrics a twist though, and use unexpected combinations such as plastic with wool.'
Prices start at £250. For more information, e-mail Abbie at abbie_shaw@yahoo.co.uk
Costume drama
Cecilia, right, with her muse and friend Angela Godfrey
'My father was an artist, so I was brought up in a creative environment. After school, I studied footwear design at the London college Cordwainers and then worked in retail for the fashion chain Replay, where I used to wear clothes that I’d customised. The customers started asking where I bought them, so I decided to study womenswear.
'I did an internship with Giles Deacon while I was at college and was offered a paid job. I continued to work there while studying and then joined permanently after I graduated. I became pregnant at college and Giles has been so supportive about me working and raising my son.
'Lois and Jaime Winstone are fans of my work. I’ve known the family for years, and when Lois came to my graduation show she asked me to dress her when she plays with her band Crack Village. My great-aunt, Dame Flora Robson, was a Hollywood film star who starred opposite Laurence Olivier and Errol Flynn, and she has been my biggest style influence. She died when I was little and I inherited a lot of her costumes. I was completely inspired by them, and I think they explain my desire to make striking one-off pieces.'
Pieces start at £500; to commission Cecilia, visit ceciliamaryrobson.co.uk
Minimal luxury
Hannah Marshall, left, and model Katie Bain
'Studying at Colchester was a wise move: there are fewer students on the course than you’d find in the London colleges, so you get more studio space. However, it was unheard of for students at Colchester to show their collections at Graduate Fashion Week, so we all campaigned to be included and we won – it gave us a fantastic sense of achievement.
'I enrolled in a business course to help me launch the label. I learned to draw up business plans and now I’m at the point where my company is self-financing. My first collection debuted in February 2007 at a show at the Royal Academy of Arts. The clothes were snapped up by two Italian stockists, and since then the fashion website my-wardrobe.com has started to stock my clothes. Erin O’Connor also got in touch, with the result that one of my pieces is in the Little Black Dress exhibition at London’s Fashion and Textile Museum this month.
'My style is quite minimal and I like to contrast luxury fabrics such as chiffon and leather, which are tactile as well as visually beautiful. My muse, Katie Bain, works for the British Fashion Council and epitomises the kind of women that I have in mind when I design – strong and elegant.'
Prices start at £500; visit hannahmarshall.com; available at my-wardrobe.com
Zip with a spin
David Steinhorst, with model Ksenia Hovden
David Steinhorst, 28, from Karlsruhe, Germany, graduated this year with an MA in womenswear from Central Saint Martins college in London. He also won the prestigious Harrods Design Award.
'I always knew I wanted to design, but I didn’t want to do anything that involved sitting at a computer, such as graphics. I did a sewing course in Germany and then came to London to study. I love it here – I live in Hackney, and its lively atmosphere epitomises the city for me.
'The highlight of my year so far has been seeing my clothes at Harrods. The store sponsors the St Martins graduate fashion show and offers one student the chance to display his or her collection in one of its windows for three weeks. I got a real buzz from getting out of the
tube at Knightsbridge and seeing my clothes and people’s reactions to them. I’ve also just won the International Talent Support’s Fashion Collection of the Year award, which is really exciting.
'Straight after I finished my MA, I was offered a job at Alberta Ferretti, but I turned it down because I didn’t want to move to Italy as quickly as they needed me to. It was flattering to be asked, though, and it made me realise that at some point I would like to work for and learn from a top designer.
'The look of my clothes is quite contradictory: they are heavily influenced by the elegance of the 1920s but feature details such as industrial zips. Zips are my favourite feature. I wanted my designs to include a detail that people are familiar with but take for granted, and zips gave me the best results – they work so well!'
Prices start at £450; davidsteinhorst.com; available at bstorelondon.com
Streetwise edge
Olivia, left, and her muse Tahita Bulmer, singer with the New Young Pony Club
Olivia Rubin, 26, from West London, studied fashion print at Central Saint Martins college in London before launching her own label at the end of last year. She is showcasing it in the exhibition at London Fashion Week next month.
'I realised at school that my strength was in the arts, and it seemed natural for me to move into fashion. At Saint Martins, I learned to cut and print fabrics during the four-year course and then, during my internship year, I was lucky enough to get experience with great designers such as Alexander McQueen and John Galliano.
'Tom Ford gave me great feedback after I entered the Fashion Fringe competition for new designers at last year’s London Fashion Week. I knew in my heart that I wanted to focus on my own label and he gave me the confidence to see it through.
'My clothes are an alternative to ultra-feminine style – they’re quite edgy and hard. I use a lot of print in my work, and bold graphics. My signature print is brickwork, which I think reflects who I am – quite tough and streetwise.
'Lily Allen, Agyness Deyn and Kelly Osbourne have all worn my clothes. Kelly’s stylist approached me after seeing my pieces in a magazine, and Lily and Agyness love my shirt dresses.'
Prices start at £250; visit oliviarubinlondon.com; also available at misslalasboudoir.co.uk.
Photographs DAVID YEO
