3 upcoming designers named the winners of The Future of Fashion Program

For the second year in a row, London based fashion platform Not Just a Label (NJAL), fashion trade fair Who’s Next and accessory trade show Premiere Classe have teamed up to organize The Future of Fashion Program. This year’s winners are jewelry designer Anisha Parmar, womenswear designer Ilke Cop and menswear designer Ali Abdulrahim. The competitive initiative was first developed to offer emerging design talent the opportunity to showcase their work at the renowned Parisian fashion trade shows at no cost.

The first winner, Parmar, is the designer behind the eponymous London based jewelry label. The latest collection from the London College of Fashion (LCF) alumna is called ‘Indigo’ and consists of various statement pieces which are adorned with indigo coloured acrylic. The second winner is the Belgian Cop: a recent graduate from the ‘Stedelijke Academie Sint-Niklaas’ (SAKS) who convinced the jury with her collection of sweaters with subtle embroideries. Lastly, the jury selected Abdulrahim as the third winner to present the latest collection of his label Mai-Gidah next September. The British designer completed his degree in Fashion Design at SAKS as well and places a strong emphasis on what he calls “interesting silhouettes”. His latest collection includes both basic items such as a grey knitted pullover as well as daring items for which he makes use of asymmetrical pockets and decorations.

”There is not a lot of emphasis on the business side of starting your own label when you’re studying fashion design,” said Cop in an interview with NJAL. “So when you start your business, you are faced with a lot of administrating and financial issues. Also, as a designer you have to be an accountant, a marketer, a seller and a PR-professional all rolled in one.” Therefore, she feels grateful for being able to participate in The Future of Fashion Program to make her label more visible and learn more about the business side of fashion from Harnick.

The second cycle of the The Future of Fashion Program kicked off in September 2015. A panel consisting of representatives from the participating trade fairs and NJAL selected the 30 most promising designers who could present their spring/summer ‘16 collections at the September editions of Who’s Next and Premiere Classe. Afterwards, the panel selected fifteen designers from the group who were invited to present their fall/winter ‘17 collections at the January editions of the trade fairs. Finally, three winners were selected, who were invited to show their latest collection again at the upcoming editions of Who’s Next and Premiere Classe. Prior to presenting their collection, the winners were invited to participate in two sessions of 90 minutes each in which Parsons professor and founder of ‘Pattern to Plan’ Gretchen Harnick offers her take on a variety of topics which are relevant to young designers. A few examples of themes that Harnick is set to discuss include brand identity, developing a customer target and prioritization of communication channels.

Image credits: Ilke Cop via Who's Next, Anisha Parmar Facebook and Mai-Gidah Facebook