The 10 London-Based Designers To Have On Your Radar
London Fashion Week is up and running, celebrating a major milestone of 40 years. With that in mind, we wanted to spotlight 10 up-and-coming London-based designers to look out for this season (and beyond)…
1. Masha Popova
Masha Popova, a London-based Ukrainian-born womenswear designer, is renowned for her creations that blend fantasy with her Ukrainian roots and childhood memories. A graduate of London’s Central Saint Martins with experience at Maison Margiela and Celine, Popova’s unique perspective, shaped by her upbringing in Ukraine and her previous studies in architecture, sets her apart in the fashion world.
Her work, loved by Service95 founder Dua Lipa, as well as Billie Eilish, Bella Hadid and Kylie Jenner, reflects a fusion of late 20th-century high fashion and the raw, carefree vibe of the ’90s-’00s. Popova’s unconventional approach to sensuality, coupled with playful draping and subversive material use, such as scrunching up denim to create delicate floral motifs, defines her elegant yet carefree collections.
2. Tolu Coker
British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker emerged onto the fashion scene in 2018 after graduating from Central Saint Martins. Her work, influenced by identity and social politics, combines artisan craftsmanship with technology, focusing on deconstruction and sustainability. Coker’s collections explore the complexities of diasporic Black identity, blurring the lines between contemporary art and fashion.
Passionate about social change, in 2019 Coker collaborated with Vlisco (a Netherlands-based African textiles manufacturer) for City of Joy – designing a collection to raise funds for the ‘transformational leadership community for women in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2020, she partnered with Choose Love to create a London Fashion Week special T-shirt design, supporting grassroots projects for refugees and minority communities. After being a part of Teen Vogue’s Generation Next programme in 2020, Coker continues to use her platform to address global issues, leading her to be listed on the Drapers 30 under 30 List in 2021.
3. Sinéad O’Dwyer
Sinead O’Dwyer’s label challenges misconceptions about garments and body inclusivity. Since graduating from the MA Fashion programme at London’s Royal College of Art in 2018, she has rejected the conventional sample size. Her designs employ silicone moulding, stretch fabrics and innovative patterns to cater to femme-identifying bodies often excluded from luxury ready-to-wear.
She has now become known for her silk tights and jumpsuits that highlight and celebrate the different lines of the body. Balancing domineering vibes with delicate sensuality, O’Dwyer’s creations embody a diverse feminine expression for all body shapes and sizes.
4. Saul Nash
Northeast London-raised designer Saul Nash established his eponymous brand in 2018, driven by a passion for creating technical garments for movement, bridging the realms of fashion and dance. With a background in performance design and an MA in Menswear from the Royal College of Art, Nash’s expertise as a dancer informs his label’s core.
After spending three seasons under Lulu Kennedy’s Fashion East, his brand has become known for revitalising luxury garments with functionality and gained global recognition for challenging societal norms in technical menswear. Rooted in a dedication to movement, Nash’s designs explore genderless sportswear and redefine traditional athleisure codes.
5. Johanna Parv
Currently under the mentorship of Lulu Kennedy at Fashion East, Estonia-born designer Johanna Parv specialises in creating urban activewear. Having completed her studies at Central Saint Martins in 2020, she’s had roles as a design assistant at Balenciaga and Christian Dior, an accessories designer at Burberry, and a designer at Soar Running. All of this experience led her to crafting functional womenswear designed for urban active lifestyles.
Now, her eponymous label empowers wearers through cross-seasonal outdoor accessories and adaptable ready-to-wear pieces. After graduating, the designer showcased a collection of fluid, asymmetric separates on the deserted lockdown streets of London. Parv continues to collaborate with local independent artisans to handcraft an upcycled monochromatic collection that blurs the line between clean-cut tailoring and comfortable performance wear.
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6. SRVC
Founded in the spring of 2021, SRVC (pronounced ‘Service’) operates under the creative direction of Ricky Wesley Harriott, a womenswear designer with a vision for the future. With a background as a designer at Vetements, he draws inspiration from the powerful women who influenced his upbringing, bringing a hyper-futuristic perspective to design.
SRVC made its debut at London Fashion Week in September 2023, empowering wearers through sleek and dynamic silhouettes while reimagining traditional (service) garment archetypes with futuristic elements.
7. Kazna Asker
Kazna Asker embodies community and activism in her brand. Winner of the Debut Talent Prize at Fashion Trust Arabia, she proudly represents her Yemeni heritage and the local Sheffield community in which she grew up. She was also the first designer to showcase a hijabi collection at Central Saint Martins MA Fashion show during London Fashion Week 2022.
Currently a member of BFC NEWGEN (a British Fashion council initiative that supports the best emerging fashion talent), Kazna combines political activism with community engagement. She has contributed to projects in Sheffield, volunteered with refugees in the Netherlands and worked with rural communities in Nepal through the youth-led charity Restless Development. Beyond her fashion accomplishments, Asker has co-organised fundraisers for Yemen and Palestine, raising over £20,000 in the past five years.
8. ChetLo
Chet Lo is a dynamic Asian American designer and 2020 graduate of Central Saint Martins BA Knitwear course. Having interned at Proenza Schouler and Maison Margiela under the mentorship of Central Saint Martin’s graduate John Galliano, Lo unveiled his groundbreaking graduate collection, Cindiaria’s Wife, which seamlessly blended his Asian heritage with Western aesthetics.
Since then, Lo’s unique fusion of futurism and classic feminine silhouettes has garnered much attention, with his designs now well-known for their ‘popcorn’ texture. Loved by cultural trailblazers such as Doja Cat, SZA, Zara Larsson, Michaela Coel, Willow Smith and Dua Lipa, he is solidifying his place at the forefront of fashion.
9. DREAMING ELI
DREAMING ELI emerged after London-based Italian designer Elisa Trombatore graduated from Central Saint Martins’ Fashion MA in 2021. Inspired by her Sicilian roots and a fervent experience of womanhood, DREAMING ELI seeks to unveil the contradictions within femininity – embracing power, danger and beauty. Trombatore, fuelled by the desire to empower women, envisions her designs as tools to rebel against stereotypes and celebrate authenticity.
With the support of DiscoveryLAB DREAMING ELI was able to debut at London Fashion Week in 2021 and has since become a consistent presence, presenting two collections annually. The brand’s SS24 collection, Wild Hearts Bleed, continues to embody Trombatore’s vision for empowering and rebellious femininity.
10. Edward Crutchley
Since launching his eponymous label under Fashion East at London Collections: Men in 2015, Edward Crutchley has swiftly risen as one to watch. Blending globally sourced artisanal textiles with gender-blurring silhouettes, Crutchley amassed over a decade of luxury house experience before venturing solo. From his roots at Betty Jackson to fabric development at Pringle of Scotland under Clare Waight Keller, he has consulted for Louis Vuitton (with Kim Jones as his mentor), Kanye West and the late Richard Nicoll.
Crutchley’s textile exploration spans Yorkshire’s wool to Japanese silk developers and Southeast Asian ikat prints. His groundbreaking design approach earned him dual Woolmark Prizes in 2019 and secured him as a BFC Fashion Fund finalist. The convergence of craftsmanship and innovation defines Crutchley’s mark on London’s fashion landscape.
Pia Brynteson is Digital Editor at Service95
