Brands to watch this fashion month

Spraying a dress straight onto Bella Hadid’s body made Coperni’s SS23 show one of last year’s most talked-about fashion moments. Along with iced-out Swipe bags and futuristic tailoring, the French brand knows how to get people talking. So, of course, we can’t wait to see what kind of showstoppers Co-Creative Directors Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant pull out next.

Selfridges’ Senior Fashion Editor, Vincent Levy, describes Craig Green as one of the most exciting names in menswear. “Craig always manages to balance his breathtaking runway spectacles with plenty of real-world substance,” he says. “The consistency of his specific design codes – string ties, punched circle cutouts and abstract takes on the utilitarian – have helped him establish a brand that smartly sits outside of seasonal trends. It’s a timeless approach akin to avant-garde greats like Rick Owens and Yohji Yamamoto.”

A longstanding collaborator of the late, great Virgil Abloh, Ib Kamara became Off-White’s art and image director last year. The two had spent years spent working together on everything from show styling to design research before Abloh’s untimely passing. Now tasked with carrying on Abloh’s unique legacy at the brand, Kamara led last season with a bold, blue collection dubbed “CELEBRATION” and a mission, which he shared with WWD, to “dream bigger” in the collections that follow in this new chapter.

Announced as the new chief creative officer in October, Daniel Lee will present his first Burberry collection at the February show. He’s already teased what his debut might have in store, unveiling a campaign featuring a reworked version of the house’s Equestrian Knight “prorsum” logo. Add that to his track record of creating accessories with a cult following, there’s an exciting new energy ahead.

Maximillian Davis’ debut as creative director put Salvatore Ferragamo firmly back on our radar last season. Vincent described his first collection as exquisite and a sign of exciting things to come, “While we’re totally here for the calming neutrals that help accentuate construction,” he explains, “we’re especially in love with the bold concentrations of colour and wall-worthy prints.”

Conner Ives began selling his “reconstituted” scarf dresses while still a student at Central Saint Martins. His debut show last February brought “American archetypes” to The Old Selfridges Hotel (“The Vogue Girl”, “The Cowgirl”, “Madam Vice President”), and now he’s back for round two. By turning antique piano shawls into wedding gowns, blankets into fleeces and vintage T-shirts into drop-waist dresses, he creates one-of-a-kind designs – the sort that elicit excited comments from editors, photographers and stylists alike at fashion week. The peak of style approval.

For lovers of unique tailoring, Peter Do is one to watch. “His play on deconstruction is brilliant, offering timeless avant-garde collections,” says Selfridges’ Head of Womenswear Buying, Jeannie Lee. Blurring the gender binary, Peter Do’s SS23 collection played with the rules of tailoring and paired plunging necklines with delicate fabrics.

Coming soon

For the Nigerian-born, London-based designer, forget the usual fashion formulas. Popping up last Paris fashion week with an off-schedule show featuring micro-mini skirts and balaclava hooded tops inspired by burglars, literally nothing is off the table for a Mowalola collection. “Her gender fluid and sex-charged designs are known for challenging societal boundaries,” says Elvija Vitola, Selfridges’ Fashion Market Editor.

Coming soon

“The epitome of young luxury done well” is how Jeannie describes Creative Director Rhuigi Villaseñor’s debut for Bally. If you love outerwear, look to Bally as it builds on an already strong foundation. The last collection featured a metallic biker, a bright pink jacket and a floor-length laser cut-out jacket, so keep an eye out for what Villaseñor offers next.

Coming soon

After a two-and-a-half-year-long break, Christopher Kane returned to the runway last season with a characteristically subversive collection that was a mix of hyper-feminine and super uncanny – think lace, silk and knitted twinsets alongside anatomical illustrations and see-through six packs. “The dresses were sexy and intelligent,” says Jeannie Lee. That’s how you make a comeback. 
 

Coming soon