Over the course of the season Oki-Ni are launching a 'New Faces of Menswear' feature which will showcase the hottest, emerging menswear designers around. Starting with HEDERUS and Mr. Hare with the likes of Martine Rose, Christopher Shannon, Satyenkumar, Odeur, Lou Dalton and Kling by Kling soon to follow, the online offering for AW09 looks bright.The feature will include an in depth interview between each designer and Oki-Ni's Creative Director John Skelton detailing the designers personal experience in the industry so far. Each interview is accompanied by an intimate portrait of the designer shot in their own creative surroundings by in-house photographer Ben Benoliel. We caught up with a few of the designers involved to talk about the collections on sale and who they'd like to Face Off with.

Martine Rose
DD: Describe your collection in your own words?
Martine Rose: Sensitive, random, functional, honest and erm....fun

DD: If you could get anyone to model/wear/buy your designs who would it be?
Martine Rose: Can I say Mickey Mouse? An animated Martine Rose shirt, on probably the most recognised animated characters would be pretty fantastic!

DD: If you could swap faces with anyone (Face Off style) who would it be and why?
Martine Rose: That's tough....it would be a man, just to get in side the head of one, but there are so many....maybe Marvin Gaye I might as well be beautiful as well as exceptional!

Lou Dalton
DD: Describe your collection in your own words?
Lou Dalton: A rich earthy Jamboree of Madness mixed together with the elegant attire of the country gent.

DD: If you could get anyone to model/wear/buy your designs who would it be?
Lou Dalton: Vincent Cassel, Billy Childish, Eugene Hutz any of the three tick all the right boxes.

DD: If you could swap faces with anyone (Face Off style) who would it be and why?
Lou Dalton: Elbar Elbaz, I'd then offer myself a job at Lanvin menswear consulting.....

Christopher Shannon
DD: Describe your collection in your own words?
Christopher Shannon: Sharp, viable, relevant.

DD: If you could get anyone to model/wear/buy your designs who would it be?
Christopher Shannon: Franco Moschino, Sean Stussy or Ad rock.

DD: If you could swap faces with anyone (Face Off style) who would it be and why?
Christopher Shannon: Kate Moss, she seems to have made a few quid.

Satyenkumar
DD: Describe your collection in your own words?
Satyenkumar: This season’s AW09 collection focuses on a slick tailored/leisure luxury collection for the modern man.

DD: If you could get anyone to model/wear/buy your designs who would it be?
Satyenkumar: Tom Hardy/Daniel Day Lewis.

DD: If you could swap faces with anyone (Face Off style) who would it be and why?
Satyenkumar: Mr Ben – The ability to walk into a wardrobe and exit as another character - The ultimate Face Off.

Kling by Kling
DD: Describe your collection in your own words?
Kling by Kling: The pieces for Oki-Ni are a special edition collection only dropped at Oki-Ni, with a (graphic) pattern taken from my latest collection KLING CLOWN. The patterns are really colourful which makes me really exited, as previously I have been working in black and white.

DD: If you could get anyone to model/wear/buy your designs who would it be?
Kling by Kling: I've been into The Pink Panther lately and ALF, but I noticed Alf is retarded. So, I would design and style The Pink Panther for the next intro - Maybe swap pink to black & white??
 
DD: If you could swap faces with anyone (Face Off style) who would it be and why?
Kling by Kling: Would l swap face with anyone else?? Really, how boring.. I can be inspired by other artists work, Collabs or connections but thinking about trading face? fowgetaboutit! Besides, if I was thinking about other faces, expectation's and pressure would follow, and how do I know its not just a mask with nothing behind anyway?

Odeur's Gorjan Lauseger
DD: Describe your collection in your own words?
Gorjan Lauseger: We chose to name the AW09 collection "SURFACES". It is a follow-up of the previous Odeur collection — In Visible, and builds on basic garments which have been re-designed to achieve a somewhat unexpected silhouette for both men and women. The collection investigates a fascination of surfaces and tactile impressions by the use of Structured fabrics and by mixing them with more familiar ones. The AW09 collection seeks to challenge conventional notions of how basic garments are constructed whilst making affordable street couture that is easy to wear. The colour scheme is made up of rubine (raspberries) and charcoals, contrasted with the base of black and off-white.

DD: If you could get anyone to model/wear/buy your designs who would it be?
Gorjan Lauseger: We don't think of anyone special. We just want the ones who likes our garments to wear them as well. Probably someone into unisex wear that likes the idea of dressing somewhat different.
 
DD: If you could swap faces with anyone (Face Off style) who would it be and why?
Gorjan Lauseger: Each other. It would be pretty cool to work with yourself. As another person.