To mark the 30th anniversary of NewGen, the British Fashion Council’s fashion talent incubator that has supported more than 300 designers, the initiative is being celebrated in a new exhibition at the Design Museum in London.
The exhibition “Rebel: 30 Years of London Fashion”, which opens on September 16th, is different from many other fashion exhibitions because the Design Museum does not cover the decades-long life of a designer with all the success and longevity in the industry celebrates, but also shows the first steps of a designer in the fashion industry.
“This is an exhibition that features some of the superstars of the fashion industry, but every single one of the looks featured was made when the designers were still in their infancy,” Tim Marlow, director and executive director of the Design Museum, said at the Press preview. “They are all in their early 20s and it is the moment when their talent is recognized and when they start to recognize their own talent. This is incredibly exciting because it’s about their potential fearlessness and willingness to experiment and showcase London as a creative powerhouse.”
The exhibition, curated by BFC Emerging Talent Ambassador Sarah Mower alongside Design Museum Senior Curator Rebecca Lewin, tells the story of hundreds of young female designers and features many pieces created since the couturiers’ debut : have never been exhibited inside.
One of the exhibition’s “fearless” and best-known designers is Lee Alexander McQueen, who was one of the first members of the BFC’s NewGen initiative. His first collection entitled “Taxi Driver”, named after Martin Scorsese’s famous 1976 film, was presented in London in 1993 and was subsequently lost in front of a nightclub. The Design Museum teamed up with McQueen’s friend and print designer Simon Ungless to share memories of how McQueen put the collection together with a film and photos of the pubs and clubs that formed the setting.
Ungless also shares his memories of working with McQueen and has recreated two garments using the techniques and shapes developed in the collection. One is made of black lace treated with latex, the other is sculpted in transparent resin with captured threads and feathers.
Design Museum sheds light on the history of Alexander McQueen’s “Taxi Driver” collection
In addition to the section dedicated to McQueen, the Design Museum focuses on how London’s unique fashion scene has produced fashion talent and how the city has nurtured young talent. Be it as a place where they studied, showed a collection for the first time or built their network on their way to success on the global stage.
It explores the places, influences and experiences that make London a fashion and creative hub for emerging talent, taking a closer look at art education in the UK, the city’s start-up scene and the clothing of the club scene. It also shows how NewGen designers use color and prints to emphasize the “kaleidoscopic energy” that emanates from them.
Featuring nearly 100 innovative fashion pieces, the exhibition highlights the depth and diversity of NewGen’s program, from Christopher Kane’s first neon runway collection to Russell Sage’s upcycled Union Jack jacket worn by Kate Moss on the cover of British Vogue , to Molly Goddard’s adorable blue ruffle dress that went viral on Instagram when it was worn by pop sensation Rihanna.
A special section is dedicated to how five designers, including Erdem and Roksanda, founded their labels. Each of them examines a central look and reveals what inspired them, but also what practical aspects played a role in the founding.
Designer Roksanda presents her Spring/Summer 2007 “Cloud” dress and talks about how she was advised by professor Louise Wilson, how each petal of the raw organza dress was starched and dried with a hairdryer, and how she had to model, to raise money to start their own brand. Erdem talked about working on his collection in his living room, his time at the Royal College of Art and how Roland Mouret introduced him as a “skillful tailor”.
From new designers to art school training, another section explores how London’s art institutions promote individuality and features the work of Paolo Carzana, Louise Gray and Marta Jakubowski.
The Club space showcases the boldness of London’s fashion scene with looks such as Marjan Pejoski’s ‘Swan’ dress worn by Icelandic singer Björk at the 2001 Oscars and Sam Smith’s Harri inflatable latex suit at this year’s Brit Awards ..
Other highlights include the black “poodle” with huge ears and paws from Gareth Pugh’s 2006 NewGen debut, which immediately drew tabloid ridicule, as well as a piece by current Dior Men and Fendi Womenswear head Kim Jones from his Rave-inspired NewGen collection from 2007.
The “Backstage Pass” area gives visitors “VIP access” to the rooms and moments that take place just before a runway show, from the clothes and shoes to the jewelry, headwear and makeup that come together the appeal of a show in front of the catwalk. The Design Museum has also partnered with Snapchat and developed AR lenses with designers Charles Jeffery Loverboy, Chet Lo, Gareth Pugh, Henry Holland, Liam Hodges, Louise Gray, Marques’Almeida, Matthew Williamson and Richard Quinn. Visitors can take a seat at make-up stations and transform themselves into models from the designers’ shop windows.
A NewGen exhibition would be unimaginable without a catwalk, and the Design Museum gives visitors a front row seat to an exclusive show by six designers who, it says, “offered groundbreaking presentations that have had a major impact on the fashion world had”. These include Christopher Kane, Craig Green, JW Anderson, Meadham Kirchhoff, Wales Bonner and Sinéad O’Dwyer.
The final room is dedicated to “Change-Makers” and features the largest exhibition of fashion pieces by designers the museum describes as “pioneers” who embody London’s creative spirit of rebellion, including Christopher Raeburn, Nensi Dojaka, Stefan Cooke, Leo Carlton and Phoebe English.
“It is impossible to underestimate London’s influence on British fashion talent – a city that is producing wave after wave of young designers who value originality, wearing what they believe in and getting things done social problems to create a better world,” Mower commented on the exhibition.
“This groundbreaking exhibition takes visitors on a remarkable journey through London’s creative landscape and all the places where the magic of fashion happens. The city’s art schools, clubs and catwalks will come to life like never before.”
“Rebel: 30 Years of London Fashion” runs from September 16 to February 11, 2024 at the Design Museum in London. The institution intends to show the exhibition worldwide to shine a spotlight on British fashion design and inspire the next generation.
This translated article previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk
