12 Young British Designers Are Coming Together To Entertain Us

The forecast for fashion is uncertain, as brands – both big and small – grapple with what this moment of pause brought about by the coronavirus pandemic will mean in the long run. For emerging British designers on the path to commercial success, this downtime has provided a moment to reflect on product offerings and business strategies, and, more than that, to simply create away from the frenetic show cycle. It is inevitable, however, that some London Fashion Week talents will not be on the schedule when it returns in its new form, because the period of limited production has proved too costly. To throw support behind fledgling labels, Browns has partnered with the British Fashion Council on its community initiative, entitled A Family Affair: Celebrating The Bonds That Matter.

Twelve designers from the BFC NEWGEN initiative will create content for Brownsfashion.com and Browns social-media platforms exploring their aesthetic, identity and inspirations. From April 30 onwards, Priya Ahluwalia will whip up a storm in a comfort food recipe challenge with her nana; Richard Quinn will share his conversation with Pam Boy about the evolution of trailblazing British fashion; Michael Halpern is set to discuss staying glam at home with Tom Glitter; Bethany Williams will make store cupboard dishes with Peckham-based Forza Win; Alighieri’s Rosh Mahtani will explain her craftsmanship via a unique picture-based interview; and Supriya Lele is inviting Browns followers into her world through a show and tell. Asai, EFTYCHIA, Paria Farzaneh, Nicholas Daley, Stefan Cooke and A* Cold Wall are also finding new means of virtually entertaining and enlightening consumers about their processes.

“The ‘show & tell’ concept that I used to contribute to the project is one that encompasses possibly my favourite part of the design process: research,” Lele told British Vogue. “The building of ideas and references at the start of a season is a process that I find particularly enjoyable. Having had a background in subjects outside of fashion (I studied architecture prior to becoming a designer), it’s always been extremely important to me to be curious and to get inspiration from many different cultural outlets, such as films, art, music, and locations. Collaborating with Browns on this project has been a wonderful way of championing some of the references that have had the most profound effect on me.”

Mahtani said: “So much of Alighieri is inspired by fragments from places I’ve been. I always travel with my 35mm film camera, and my snapshots of flea markets and pages from antique books always find their way into each collection. I’ve chosen a selection of photographs, all taken on film, capturing my design process from beginning to end: the places I’ve been that have been the seed of an idea, the fragments of wax and the carving tools integral to my process, the beams of light in which I love to place the final pieces, and the candles I blow out every evening, as a ritual to mark a full circle.”

“Now, more than ever, collaboration is essential and we need to come together to support each other,” Caroline Rush, BFC chief executive, explained of the partnership. Tyler Psarras, Browns brand engagement director, concurred: “We have big love for next generation talent – it’s the foundation from which Browns was built 50 years ago and it remains one of our core pillars to this day.” To bolster this statement, Browns has pledged to up its contribution to the BFC Foundation Fashion Fund by 50 per cent.

Tune in to Brownsfashion.com from 30 April to 14 May to support the 12 creatives coming together to share their worlds. They need you, but, more importantly, we need them to continue making fashion a little bit brighter.