Global Sourcing - Emerging Talent & Funding - By Charlotte Rogers
Globally London is the heart and center of creativity and design, our young fashion designers over the years have built a respectful following from the all over the world with Britain holding the strongest reputation for emerging talent. This report will focus on Lucas Nascimento an up and coming designer, and discussing the challenges for emerging UK talent, along with sponsorships and funding the industry and government provides.
Lucas Nascimento a London based Brazilian Designer is a fast becoming hot new talent to look out
for. Knitwear that does not look like knitwear has become one of Lucas’s specialities, with his innovative use of techniques from structured knitwear to neoprene bonded knitted dresses and sheer woven tops is always bringing something fresh to the catwalk. His collections captivating the audience every season by showing lots of texture and colour through his work, this could maybe have been influenced by his upbringing and the crazy culture and life of Brazilian carnivals. He has his fashion aesthetic down to a tee. Those sleek, modern pieces such as a column skirt or neat bomber jacket. For A/W ’13, dresses take on a cocoon shape while jackets are cropped, or cut out at the shoulder. Old ladies are a constant obsession. He goes on, ‘their proportions and how they put together their outfits fascinates me’. While we don’t think geriatric when we see a Lucas look, those demure lengths and inspired colour combinations make sense in this context. With his intelligent Womenswear designs his customer profile is very broad, with teens to ‘Old Aged Toffs’ taking interest in his work. This really came to light when I was representing Lucas on his stand at Somerset House Newgen space, meeting with press, buyers and members of the BFC each conversation I had women would say the same thing how his clothes are so wearable yet elegant. Which is where I think Lucas has got his Target Market spot on, high professional women fascinated with his work certain key pieces make an outfit perfectly appropriate for important meetings and the day to day working schedule having to keep formal, yet comfortable and unique. A definite designer to go for swoon-worthy everyday classics. I adore his work but financially it would be very unfair on the bank account! So overall Lucas’s works attracts women of all ages but he predominantly sells to women over 40’s with extremely high profile jobs and of a western culture, probably living in a luxurious apartment in the city. Graduating in 2008, Lucas is still very much fresh on the fashion circuit, showcasing his fifth collection last week. He is still finding his way and building his clientele, trading for just over two years now Lucas stocks across the UK to Dover Street Market, LN-CC, Matches and stocks globally to Bahrain, Brazil, Italy, France, Hong Kong and USA. So far every collection he has produced has been a success and has had significant interest from head buyers from the listed department stores, placing orders and putting part of his collections into production. But along with the general stress of London Fashion Week there is extra worry on top if anyone is even going to buy into the designers collection no unit orders, no money, no business. Emerging designers are solely relying on head buyers of these prestigious stores to invest in their work.
Throughout my journey these certain designers; Lucas Nascimento, J.JS.LEE and label 1205 have had a strong impact on my work and inspired me with their strong design aesthetic all of which feature sleek, and chic tailored pieces. A similarity they all hold is they are all just starting out themselves and are under the sponsorship of NEWGEN, which I will later discuss in more depth. With only a few collections under their belt, these are the designers I aspire to be one day. They are young, fresh and full of energy, and with most of them graduating within the last 5-8 years I feel these are the role models for my peers and I to follow. These designers are the emerging talents of this generation and are the ‘ones to watch’ their journey of progression has a relevance to graduates who are all striving for the same goal and success in their field. With each collection Lucas has collaborated in various ways, his most recent work collaborating with Piers Atkinson accessory Designer creating oversized Alice bands worn to the back of the head and Charkviani the amazing Shoe Designer producing soft leather block heels. Also one of the things I learnt working with Lucas is that he collaborates each season with Dazed & Confused Fashion Editor Karen Langley, who styles his collection. In my opinion collaborating is a positive and beneficial way of working as it brings two minds together doubling the amount of creativity, which can produce a spectacular outcome. Also drawing in more attention from the media and bloggers, helping the designer to become more recognized. By working with Dazed & Confused Lucas is featured regularly and interviewed about his background and work ethic in the Magazine and on the web, along with recent Filmmaker Alexandros Pissourios documenting Lucas’s SS13 collection, editing it in a ‘fashion film’ like way which leaves you wanting to see more. All of these elements of people in the industry pulling together is a natural progression for promoting designers work boosting each others profiles, it is a ‘win win’ situation as everybody is getting something out if it at the end of the day. For the stage Lucas is at he sure has plenty of competition, but I would say it is healthy competition. With his specific knitwear technology and high quality pieces this stands him in good stead with not many other designers in his field producing similar creations owing him the title of ‘one to watch’. Also holding a strong support from Brazil showcasing his work at Rio Fashion Week for the past 3 years the world’s largest emerging economy, which is keeping his business sustainable. With his price level ranging from £500 up to £2000 this is around the same as his competitors such as J.JS.LEE and 1205 all stocking in Dover Street Market. I have to say each Label produces extremely high quality garments, along with manufacturing in the UK this is generally acknowledged with great pride and respect.
NEWGEN. A globally recognised fashion talent identification scheme. Established in 1993 it has become a great success as the prestigious launch pad for UK based designers to showcase their work to the world. Sponsored by the Arcadia Group celebrating its 10th anniversary last year, providing a springboard for the likes of Alex McQueen, Erdem and Christopher Kane to become established and highly respected fashion designers. With the average catwalk show costing around £75,000, this orgainisation provides financial support as well as business mentoring. Giving the designers an opportunity to use the BFC catwalk show space during LFW instantly launching their work out into the world, media and press. With London Fashion Week all over in a flash there lies the beating heart of an industry. The Fashion industry contributing £21 billion to the UK and providing 816,00 jobs making it the largest employer of all the creative industries. With all of this positivity and growth, in my opinion one of the biggest issues the fashion industry holds is unpaid internships cannot be justified in an industry that generates so much money for the UK. But the truth of the matter is many of today’s fashion designers would not survive without their interns. I am pleased to see that both the British Fashion Council and the UK Fashion and Textile Association are putting their weight behind proper training, apprenticeships and real jobs. Also Intern Aware is a national campaign for fair, paid internships, who have helped change the debate in the media by making the case that asking young people to work for free has corrosive effects on social mobility. Will there be change? I would like to think so being a student myself, it is hopeful to know there is now much greater awareness about this issue across the industry.
The fashion industry is a notoriously fickle world, a tough challenge in becoming a successful fashion designer would be said to be an understatement and it all fizzles down to funding. Where does the money come from? To be an eligible Newgen applicant you have to be based in the UK, have been in business for no longer than 3 years and would normally be expected to have shown off schedule, also have a minimum of two stockists international or UK, and finally the collection should consist of womenswear or accessories. All of this to me is screaming time and money, which are the things a lot of fashion designers are short of. Unless a designer is approached by or sources an investor to fund their collection, it is extremely hard to even get near applying for funding schemes such as Newgen. I do feel the University of the Arts London colleges have major advantages over all of the other university’s throughout the country as their work is exhibited to the industry and are given the opportunity to be on the London Fashion Week schedule with their collections on the catwalk and VIP front row fashioneasta’s, already their name is out there straight onto the circuit. Which then the majority have a sudden rise in the press and a lucky strike in industry, but how can u keep the flame burning? As a lot of designers are now a temporary success not being able to keep up with the fast pace season ahead industry. Overlooking the successful designers they have the capability to capture the hearts and mind of their selected audience along with quick thinking, flexibility and a strong business structure.
After investigating young emerging talent, and working along side Lucas Nascimento I have learnt orgainisation, creative and communication skills but most importantly how a business is run. It has been an interesting and eye-opening topic to research as I hope to be one day successful in the fashion industry and is relevant to me now at this point in my life, with graduating in the very near future all of this information I have absorbed has given me a clearer understanding of the journey to having a successful business and the procedures a designer takes to step into the world of fashion creating their own label. Ultimately, the piece that fits the puzzle is one that satisfies the combination of art with business.