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FashionLondon urban
Paul Smith AW15

The

Urban
Catwalk

by Mark Cullum
Photographs by Davide Cossu©

With the ss16 womenswear shows
going on this September at London
Fashion Week (LFW), the global
who’s who of the fashion world
such as ourselves are keeping
a style eye firmly on the talent.
Chic, flamboyant, contemporary,
luxury – just a few words that often
get thrown around – but we ask:
is London an influential place for
more urban and streetwear focused
designers?
At a glance, the answer is firmly
no. Urban fashion has typically
been secluded to the subcultures
of society, finding fame with the
edgiest of stars and residing in a
fashion genre of its own. It’s not
mainstream, it’s not widely sought
after and until recently it hasn’t
really been tagged to the words
“luxury” or “premium”. However,
things are now changing, albeit
slowly and little by little.

ASHISH AW15

Shock place this brand high on
London’s list of new streetwear
influencers. As well as Ashley
Williams showcasing, other
contenders such as ASHISH and
Claire Barrow prove that there
is a place in the London fashion
industry for this contemporary
approach to streetwear; where a
brazen attitude reigns supreme.
But despite this gradual small
change at LFW and in the London
fashion industry in general, is our
city really the place for these urban
designers to grow and trade? After
creating and showcasing here, is
this city where their designs really
make it? Designers like Nasir
Mazhar and Astrid Andersen
who have previously showcased
at LFW are now revered in places
like Japan, China and South
Korea, where such styles are far
more commercially popular than
in London, or even New York and
Paris. So whilst LFW is arguably
opening up opportunities for more
urban style brands, and London
hosts a small yet impeccably
talented set of such designers
continuing to push the boundaries
of contemporary streetwear, it
seems that perhaps our city is not
yet the place where the talented
designs born here are truly
appreciated.

For example, we understand that
the British Fashion Council (BFC)
are granting a small number of
such designers a powerful platform
for promotion, although out of
the 17 ready-to-wear designers
this season featured on the BFC
showspace at LFW (a coveted
spot for those who can’t facilitate
their own extravagant Burberryesque shows), only a couple of
these designers could be regarded
as an influencer for the urban and
streetwear market, namely Ashley
Williams and SIBLING.
The design trio SIBLING ( Joe
Bates, Sid Bryan and Cozette
McCreary) are a firm and
alternative favourite on the London
catwalk with their loud designs
and a focus on contemporary
knitwear. Balaclavas, sequin masks
and collaborations with the likes
of PUMA, Cassette Playa and G
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