Lo, the SS23 womenswear season is almost upon us, with the first of the big four’s fashion weeks kicking off over in NY in eight days and counting. This time around, we’re looking forward to runway debuts from Chopova Lowena, a London cameo from Raf Simons himself, and a very special moment at Salvatore Ferragamo, as rising star and Fashion East alumnus Maximilian Davis makes his debut at the helm of the Italian house in Milano.
Speaking of Fashion East, we’re also excited to reveal the latest line-up of talents Lulu Kennedy is taking under her wing. This season, Jawara Alleyne is set to fly the nest, as he shows his fourth and final collection. The former CSM designer, who’s based between London and the Cayman Islands, unpicks and recontextualises traditional traditional notions of masculinity through his esoteric creations. Chances are you’ll have spotted his holey, safety-pinned tees across social media, with Bella Hadid, Kendrick Lamar, and Caroline Polachek among his fans. More importantly, he’s also the brains behind the blunt dress Rihanna wore on the cover of this very mag.
The first of the newbies takes the form of Karoline Vitto, who’s also a CSM and Royal College of Art alumnus. The Brazilian designers frames the fat rolls and folds of flesh the media has trained us to hate as things of beauty through her sensual designers – think slinky slip dresses and cut-out cropped-tops with sculptural metal inserts. She’s one of the few creatives on the fashion landscape working in an authentic way when it comes to including a wide range of people with varying body sizes, and has been worn by the likes of Shygirl and new-gen supermodel Paloma Elsesser.
Rounding off the SS23 line-up is Michael Stewart. The Irish creative graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2017 and only founded his label Standing Ground in early 2022, but is already making waves thanks to his unique approach to design. Stewart is all about experimenting with proportions and silhouette, drawing inspiration from ancient history and artefacts before bringing them bang into 2022 through contemporary draped cuts and finishes.
The list of designers graduating from Fashion East reads like a roll call of who’s who in fashion. From Charles Jeffrey, KNWLS, Supriya Lele, and ASAI, to Wales Bonner, Martine Rose, Craig Green, and Kim Jones, Kennedy’s eye for stratospheric talent is unmatched. Needless to say we’re excited to see what these rising designers bring to the table this season. Keep your eyes on Dazed on September 16 when we’ll be reporting live from the show at London’s Mills Fabrica.
