The new designers on our radar this Autumn

NENSI DOJAKA

Albanian designer Nensi Dojaka made the headlines last week when she won the LVMH fashion prize. She founded her eponymous label in 2017 while studying at the London College of Fashion. Sheer, layered fabrics, deconstructed silhouettes and raw, exposed seams are the foundations of her collections, drawing on 20th-century Surrealism and designed to challenge conventional notions of female beauty. The result is a collection of tops, dresses and skirts with asymmetric cuts and delicate details, all threaded with a rebellious and nonchalant air.

Draped chiffon maxi dress

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MAXIMILIAN

Manchester-born designer Maximilian Davis attended the London College of Fashion and cut his teeth designing at Wales Bonner before founding his own label in 2021. He frequently celebrates Black history and identity through his designs, drawing on his Trinidadian roots as a source of inspiration. Other key influences include Dalston club culture and 18th and 19th-century Carnival costumes, artfully merged with sensual noughties codes. Look out for directional separates impeccably crafted in the brand’s Hackney Downs studio.

Disco asymmetric body suit

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CHARLES JEFFREY LOVERBOY

Charles Jeffrey graduated from London's Central Saint Martins in 2015, founding his own label shortly thereafter. He funded his MA and an internship by hosting a weekly club night called ‘Loverboy’ in London – and, as a result, the spirit of the city's nightlife is suffused in his electrifying collections. Each season he collaborates with a host of friends, ranging from artists to drag queens. Specialising in painterly prints and avant-garde silhouettes, the designer crafts each collection with intricate details that reveal his specialist couture training

Blue Homefront striped knit cardigan

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WALES BONNER

Entangling a theoretical approach to post-colonial theory, Black literature and post-Black literature within her fashion designs, Grace Wales Bonner’s collections are a direct response to these notions of race and gender.

Navy Vision belted raw-denim jacket

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LUDOVIC DE SAINT SERNIN

French designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin worked at Balmain before establishing his eponymous LVMH-Prize shortlisted label in 2016. His minimalist styles are interpreted with a gender-fluid approach and bear subtle nods to pop culture from ballet to erotica. Collections are based on personal life experiences and the designer names confrontational American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe among his sources of inspiration. Signature styles include flared trousers and loose shirts toughened up with elements of denim and leather.

Don't Ruin My Fantasy-print jersey T-shirt

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HARRY REED

‘Fighting for the beauty of gender fluidity’ is how London-based designer and Central Saint Martins graduate Harris Reed describes his evocative and artistic approach to fashion. Their creative process pays homage to pioneering cultural movements of the past – Victoriana, Romanticism and glam rock are key sources of inspiration – in order to kindle current conversations around gender and personal identity.

Metallic Hand pearl & 18kt recycled gold-plated necklace

Harry Reed and Missoma

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