It’s pretty mad to realise that Fashion East has been going for 25 years now. 

The talent incubator got its start back in 2000, when Lulu Kennedy began helping fledgling designers from a Shoreditch warehouse on a tiny shoestring budget, putting on one of the best and most anticipated runway shows of London Fashion Week ever since. Kennedy now has ‘Chaos’ tattooed on one arm and ‘Magic’ inked on the other, and that’s exactly how you’d sum it all up. The budget might be a little bigger these days, and the whole operation a bit less rough around the edges – 25 years of practice will do that for you – but it hasn’t lost any of the energy and madness that made it so special in the first place. 

More recently recruiting Raphaelle Moore as her partner-in-crime, the two have spent the last quarter-century nurturing a huge swathe of British fashion’s biggest, most exciting talent, before sending them off into the big wide world to go it alone. Those who’ve come in through the Fashion East doors and gone on to massive things include Simone Rocha, Craig Green, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Maximilian Davis, and Martine Rose, with Kennedy and Moore as passionate about (and involved in) finding new designers to take under their wing as they ever were.

Now, Kennedy and Moore are excited to unveil their line-up for the new season. For AW25, there actually isn’t any movement and for the first time in a while those turning up to the upcoming LFW show will be seeing the exact same designers they saw back in September – but that doesn’t make it any less of an exciting prospect. In the mix we’ve got collections from Olly Shinder, now in his fourth season, as well as Nuba and Louther (formerly known as Loutre). 

CSM grad Shinder finds inspiration in the labyrinthine corridors and darkrooms of the club, turning out kinky clothes that subvert traditional ideas of masculinity, while Louther designer Olympia Schiele draws on an obsession with skate culture to portray the grit and spirit of underground London, utilising deadstock fabrics to create dynamic pieces with unusual silhouettes. Meanwhile, Nuba founders Cameron Williams and Jebi Labembika channel the clashes and correlations of their heritages, with both growing up in South London of Afro-Caribbean and West African roots, and these ideas translating to twisted tailoring that explores each unique culture.

“We’re very excited about this season’s line up,” say Kennedy and Moore of the AW25 line-up. “All three brands are very strong-minded yet soft, and with lots to say. We’re super into them as people, and admire how their offering has naturally evolved into a modern unisex wardrobe.” Keep your eyes on Dazed when LFW kicks off on February 21 to see more from the upcoming Fashion East show.