1x1 Studio via Instagram
We are used to seeing male designers set the tone for womenswear as the majority of luxury houses have men like Olivier Rousteing, Hedi Slimane and Tom Ford in their creative director role, but having women at the helm of menswear labels less common. That’s why the wave of female designers in London making some of the most coveted menswear in the business is exciting.
According to Sarah Gresty, who leads Central Saint Martins BA Fashion program, it is a trend that doesn’t show signs of slowing down. Nearly half of the menswear students in this year’s graduating class are women. For Gretsy, it comes down to a willingness to cross the boundaries of gender on both sides.
“We have womenswear students using womenswear tailoring techniques but making clothes for boys,” she says. “Equally we have menswear students who are themselves male or female looking at female clothing inspiration and dressing trans people or choosing to show on women. Central Saint Martins 2014 BA Fashion graduate, Grace Wales Bonner, was an early proponent of this attitude to menswear.”
Although Wales Bonner is not on the Men’s weak in London this year, we rounded up some of our favourite female-led labels we are looking forward to seeing at men’s week.
Martine Rose
After the jaw-dropping ss19 show Martine Rose staged for her eponymous brand on the streets of North London last year, everyone was waiting to see what she would do next. Well, she made us wait. For fw19 the British designer chose to do a showroom in Paris, instead of serving up her 90’s hip-hop inspired collection on the runway. But this year, she is back on the schedule and the suspense could not be higher.
1×1 Studio
Yi Ling Kuo and Tommy Lin met during their final year at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London and founded their contemporary luxury menswear label, 1×1 studio, in 2017. Their fw 19 show, which featured futuristic fabrics, 3D design and all sorts of post-tech headgear, won them the “Ones to Watch” prize form Fashion Scout showcase. We will definitely be watching.
Alexander McQueen
Sarah Burton started interning for fashions enfant terrible, Alexander McQueen in the late 1990’s and after a decade at the fashion house when McQueen died, she not only finished his last collection but took over the creative director position for the label. Although her womenswear has gotten a lot of attention, with Kate Middleton as a fan, Burton has made her mark on the menswear; using references from her Northern English roots.
Lou Dalton
Lou Dalton may hail from the small village of Hodnet, Shropshire in the middle of England, but she didn’t waste any time breaking into London’s menswear market. She left school at 16 to apprentice for the tailoring business, Pardie Clothing, and founded her eponymous label in 2005. Her experience at knitwear is evident as statement scarves and sweaters feature heavily in her collections. We’re looking to see how Dalton takes the burnout aesthetic from her aw19 collection and moves on to summer.
Bianca Saunders
The Royal College of Arts graduate first appeared on London’s fashion schedule last year, but has quickly gained momentum through her presentations that focus on identities that are not always well represented in the mainstream. Her debut collection, entitled “Gestures, featured a cast of non-binary models and dealt with the theme of black masculinity. Her aw19 show invited audiences into a bedroom-style setting, complete with mattress on the floor, so it will be interesting to see where she takes her next collection.