Fashion Scout names AW17 Ones to Watch

International showcase for emerging designers Fashion Scout has named four designers including London College of Fashion’s Joanna Berling as the winners of its Ones to Watch platform for London Fashion Week autumn/winter 2017.

Berling, who presented her final collection for London College of Fashion in June 2016, will showcase her autumn/winter 2017 collection as part of the Ones to Watch collaborative catwalk. Her graduate collection was met with great success and her designs, which explore the intersection between beauty and bad taste have been worn by the likes of Lady Gaga and Connie Constance. In September 2017, she will start her MA in fashion at the Royal College of Art.

Commenting on her win, Berling said: “As a young designer, being able to present an AW17 collection during LFW to follow up my graduate work is an extremely exciting and motivating, though at times a slightly intimating opportunity. I am so grateful to Fashion Scout for this initiative, which gives emerging designers an amazing platform to showcase their work.”

Joining Berling will be University of East London graduate Krasimira Stoyneva who has been known her use of innovative use of synthetic hair combined with bold prints, as well as contemporary label Ru which considers clothes as architectures around women’s body, inspired by exploding and cracking buildings.

Ones to Watch AW17 designers announced

The final winner is Orange Culture a menswear brand from Nigeria designed by Adebayo Oke-Lawal that became the first Nigerian brand to show during London Collections: Men in spring/summer 2016.

The four designers were selected by a panel of industry experts, which this season included Martyn Roberts, Fashion Scout’s founder and creative director, Hilary Alexander, Tony Glenville, Rebekah Roy and Niamh Tuft, from the British Council.

Commenting on this season’s winners, Fashion Scout founder and creative director Martyn Roberts said: “This season’s Ones to Watch truly demonstrates what the award was created to showcase. The diverse nature of cultures and styles exhibited by our winners this season will come together in the highlight of the autumn/winter schedule.”

Fashion Scout’s Ones To Watch has helped raised the profile of many emerging designers including Eudon Choi, Georgia Hardinge, Phoebe English, Helen Lawrence, Typical Freaks, and Han Wen.

Image: courtesy of Fashion Scout