Fashion Crossover London introduced its very first Fashion Crossover London Slow Fashion Week - Digital Event, which took place from the 18th until the 23rd of February 2021, in line with the Official London Fashion Week. When better to hit the pause button than when the entire world is at a common standstill. With everybody forced to look at different resources and making the transition from physical to digital. Fashion Crossover London chose a more personal approach, by inviting no less than fifteen Fashion Crossover London designers to turn on their camera, and show the audience the individuals behind the brands. Over the course of five days the selected designers gave tutorials, invited viewers to their studios and shared their design tips under the five pillars of sustainability: Circular Thinking, Sourcing Materials, Creating Fabrics, Garment Construction and Ethical Fashion.

Starting off day one with Circular Thinking, was Capucine Huguet who joined Fashion Crossover London through its Graduate Talent Programme in 2020. The Paris-based designer creates unique accessories from recycled material, that carry a deeper message by paying homage to thwidthe planet’s future, and says: ‘With the climate crisis and COVID-19, there is a growing consciousness and awareness and the way we dress can be a powerful tool to highlight environmental issues!’. Joining her was designer Aurelie Fontan, the winner of the Dame Vivienne Westwood Sustainability Award who joined the Fashion Crossover London designer family in 2019. The French designer gave an insight into her zero-waste and bio-design approach as well as Lydia Whiting who focuses on reducing the use of plastic and sources materials closer to home.

On day two Fashion Crossover London designers Omaia Jallad, Riina Oun-recipient of the 2020 Central Saint Martins x Fashion Crossover London Advertorial Sponsorship - ELLE UK, and Eden Keshia shared their outlook on the sourcing of sustainable materials. From turning kombucha-waste into textile to preserving flowers, yet it was the Leeds-based designer Eden Keshia that stole the show with her pineapple leather and adds: “Eden Keshia promotes the notion of an extra-ordinary wardrobe, filled only with the most significant, lasting garments that capture the attention with a plethora of sequins, embroidery, tassels, metallics and hand-illustrated details.”

From material, we weave our way to fabric and introduce the work of Fashion Crossover London designers and the 2020 Global Young Talents Zoey Simpson, Sissel Gustavsen and Daniela Groza. While Zoey looks at natural dying techniques, Sissel Gustavsen took it up a notch and presented us with a tutorial on how to dye your fabrics with household items, a must-watch for anybody who has some extra time - and fabric - on their hands. The Danish designer said: “Each of my scarves is handmade from luxury peace silk and naturally dyed and rust printing, ensures each scarf is both unique and sustainable.” From rust to relics Daniela Groza stunned by turning family heirlooms into sculptural pieces of jewellery that celebrate body-diversity, “Jewellery must not just beautify, but also empower the wearer through meaningful concepts and teach them about ethical consumerism” says the Romanian designer.

How to construct garments in a more sustainable matter was dealt with on the fourth day, where Sarah Thompson, part of Fashion Crossover London Graduate Talent Programme since 2019, took the lead and surprised our audience with a sneak peek of her collection: “TOM-O, by Sarah Thompson, celebrates the sentiment of garments through creating one-off pieces from unwanted clothing. TOM-O gives new life to unloved fabrics, by patch-working them into something unique, ethical & sustainable.” Following a similar principle yet applying it to festival-wear and T-shirt respectively were Tasarla Lagan and Citizen T.

Fashion Crossover London brands Tribe All, Founded by Angela Thouless, and Farah Nasir drew the week to a close as they divulged their ethical practices from working with locals to securing fair wages for workers. Saving the best for last, Indonesian jewellery designer Edwin Charmain, who together with the help of Fashion Crossover London secured a Global Young Talent Visa in 2019, dedicates his time and designs to the revival of the Indonesian filigree technique. After five days of informative, inspiring and invigorating content one thing is certain, the next generations of fashion are shaping a greener narrative, allowing us all to dream of a more conscious future.

Fashion Crossover London seeks to identify and give the future generation of fresh creatives a chance for their work to shine, and break through the noise, using the power of collaboration. May it be exactly that, which allowed four Fashion Crossover London designers, each showcasing a unique aesthetic to merge seamlessly in a shoot beaming with innovation, inclusivity and all-together dreaminess.

Amid UK’s third lockdown, Fashion Crossover London opened its doors - following all necessary COVID-19 regulations - to an afternoon of creative escapism. Bringing to life the designs of Fashion Crossover London designers Claire Tiplady, Seren Gaygusuz, Anne Elisabeth F Marthinsen and Bonabag was the emerging photographer Qingyang Chen. With a background in fine art, Qingyang looked at paintings for inspiration and treated every shot like a work of art, spending hours developing in the darkroom to create the perfect shot.

Celebrating love, kindness, and peeling back the facade clothes provide us with, we saw a more stripped-back approach, allowing every piece to speak for itself. The Cambridge-based gender-neutral designer Claire Tiplady found inspiration in the intricate network of the London Underground. Her woven coat and two-piece, made entirely from ribbons, was muted down with the naturally dyed wardrobe staples by Norwegian designer Anne Elisabeth F Marthinsen, who in turn took inspiration from the telling of Dorian Grey. The ESMOD graduate chose to work with 100% natural fibres and dyes ensuring sustainability was embedded throughout her work.

New Faces and brothers Devontay and Dijon Graham modelled the gowns by Turkish-born yet London based Seren Gaygusuz, to sheer perfection. Though extravagant and symbolic of female empowerment by nature, Gayusuz’s tulle frocks transformed into a manifestation and a triumphant display of genderfluidity. Tying the looks together were the Turkish-made sustainable leather handbags of the Swiss label Bonabag by Founder Cansu Sahin, emblematic for their flawless blend of artisan design and quality leather. With each frame underpinning their mantra ‘Bona’, translating into “good, genuine, fortunate”.

Together, these images paint the perfect picture of how we all crave kindness, understanding and openness. Discover all the Fashion Crossover London designers and brands on www.fashioncrossover-london.com and shop their Made-To-Order collections.