Fashion East is known for bringing only the best of emerging talent to the LFW scene, and this season did not disappoint. Ahead of the SS25 triple-threat runway show at Brick Lane’s Truman Brewery, two additional presentations plus open bar initiated the evening.
Newbie footwear designer Positive Energy Flows Again by Kitty Shukman showed pieces on a tree installation with the sound of a shamanic bass echoing in the room, and a healer looming to keep our energies in check. While, on the models, sick prosthetic crucifixes and angel wings hinted at a Catholic-core influence. The spiritual-meets-religious themes supplemented the designers’ angelic silicone-esque spiralling 3-D slider designs, which were inspired by nature’s shapes and constructs – fusing innovation and natural forms.
The second presentation (which stood in the runway space), was Sosskyn, by Dover-based designer duo Samara Scott and Tayah Leigh Barrs, whose pieces are all unique and handmade, merged from different upcycled materials of all different kinds. Sosskyn tends to get experimental with sourcing fabrics. Garments were created from pre-owned cashmeres, stockings and mosquito nets, as well as latex seaweed – bringing in different textures and shapes to curate an abstract, dystopian mermaid-esque aesthetic.
The first runway of the night was Olly Shinder, who showed for the third and final time at Truman’s Brewery, checking out from the Fashion East roster with his first womenswear looks. His collection fused the different genders, subverting and merging gender stereotypes in fetish-inspired, structured uniforms. Men and women wore the same workwear-style looks: khaki military-inspired co-ords, collared tracksuits, laddered cut-outs and scout-style pieces that showed off Shinder’s refined signature boxy tailoring with a fetishcore-meets-militarycore vibe for all genders. The pieces “catered to male and female body shapes, but never to gendered expectations,” wrote Mahoro Seward in the press release. “This isn’t about rebelling against the binary, but rather ignoring it.”
Nuba followed. For Nuba’s SS25 collection “SIM”, the designer duo Jebi Labembika and Cameron Williams explored the theme of duality between authenticity in one setting and “simulation” in another. The collection took inspiration from the designers’ respective homes of Woolwich and Brixton and “the geographies of London, Jamaica and Cameroon” – which play a huge part in their identities. The designers showed their mastered draping techniques with cut-out fluid skirts, flowy trousers, subversive dress shirts worn upside down with a chest cut-out, defined shoulders and Rick Owens-esque draped hooded dresses in a monochromatic palette with hints of rusty red and khakis – evoking an effortless, rebellious elegance.
Last on the list was Loutre. Self-taught designer Pia Schiele, whose signature aesthetic is skater-influenced, also took inspiration from London’s street style culture. Schiele combined upcycled vintage pieces with refined, tailored cuts to bring a blend of different London streetwear aesthetics on the runway – from silky and sophisticated minimalism to maximalist grandma-core silhouettes, tweeds, indie-sleaze furs and grunge-inspired looks. The collection boldly demonstrated the wide diversity of styles you’d see in London’s streets, showcasing a different, unapologetic personality with each look.
Fashion East once again showed its exceptional curation of emerging talent, providing us with a range of creativity and different aesthetics. The SS25 lineup brought confident energy and innovative designs and techniques, maintaining Fashion East’s role as a powerful platform for new-gen design.
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