Sponsored by Topman and the
BFC, twelve menswear brands and designers have been selected by an official committee to showcase their SS16 collections at London
Collections Men, as part of the season’s NewGen Men show.
Tuesday night saw three new labels added to the schedule: designer Bobby Abley; label Cottweiler, helmed by Ben Cottrell and Matthew Dainty; and brand Pieter, designed by Sebastiaan Pieter. The two latter recipients will receive funding to hold presentations during London fashion week, while Cottweiler will receive sponsorship for a complete runway show.
“We at Topman are very proud to be the continued sponsor for this important award – and are looking forward to seeing what the cream of emerging British menswear has to offer this season,” said Jason Griffiths, Marketing Director for Topman.
“The list of recipients includes designers whose shows are quickly becoming essential must-sees on the schedule and we are delighted to welcome three new names to the NewGen Men roster in Bobby Abley, Cottweiler and Pieter.”
The trio join the already-announced nine NewGen design recipients for SS16: Agi & Sam (catwalk), Alex Mullins (presentation), Astrid Andersen (catwalk), Cmmn Swdn (presentation), Craig Green (catwalk), Diego Vanassibara (installation), Kit Neale (salon show), Nasir Mazhar (catwalk) and Vidur (installation).
As well as receiving opportunities to show their latest collections for men, the recipients are given financial support and business mentoring in the lead-up. The includes fabric and materials sourcing advice, through to what avenues are best in reaching a wider press and buyer audience. The support aims to build their businesses commercially and help them develop relationships with key industry personnel.
Meanwhile, the BFC works with DLA Piper and Baker Tilly to provide legal, commercial and accounting advice for all designers involved.
At the Tuesday night event - hosted by Grey Goose at Soho House - the BFC and Topman unveiled the final twelve in front of past and present NewGen recipients. London Collections Men ambassador Nick Grimshaw was also in attendance, rubbing shoulders with Sibling’s Cozette McCreery and London’s top press and buyers.
The initiative is about raising the profile of emerging
British menswear designers through London Collections Men to a global audience.
“NewGen Men is
globally recognized as an identifier of talent and celebrates an industry that
is growing rapidly, providing much needed support for the emerging businesses
that will one day sit at the helm of the menswear sector,” said Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the BFC.
"The opportunity to showcase a collection at
London Collections Men and the key mentoring support that this initiative offers
could not be awarded to twelve more deserving designers, each a unique and
exciting success story in the making. ”
The finalists were selected by the official NewGen
Men committee, which boasts the industry expertise of: Catherine Hayward, from Esquire; Charlie Porter, from
the Financial Times; Damien Paul, from Matchesfahion.com; Darren Skey, from Harvey
Nichols; Gordon Richardson and Jason Griffiths, from Topman; Lulu Kennedy, from
Fashion East; Robert Johnston, from GQ; and Sam Lobban, from Mr Porter.
The London Collections: Men Spring/Summer 2016 shows run from June 12 through 15.