As a fashion capital London, is known for its up-and-coming talents – a resource that fashion boutique Matches Fashion has tapped into for its latest project. Launching an initiative entitled The Innovators – that debuts during London Fashion Week – the e-commerce site will support a different gang of young designers each season. The first collective includes Matty Bovan, Claire Barrow, Eden Loweth and Tom Barratt of Art School, Wanda Nylon and Paula Knorr, all of whom have worked on exclusive capsule collections that will be sold online.
Claire Barrow’s unique DIY aesthetic is translated into a selection of painterly printed dresses and silk-separates, while Art School has continued its commitment to the genderqueer non-binary body with wide leg trousers and an embroidered school shirt. Newgen fave Paula Knorr remains female-focused with a selection of shimmering shirts, while Wanda Nylon brings her well-tailored staples. As for Matty Bovan, his capsule consists of four handmade, knitted garments in contrasting colours – and a big step up from what is currently available of his work online.
And that is the important part of the initiative, to offer commercial support to young designers who may not have the resource for their designs to be sold online early in their career. While most of these designers have been supported by Fashion East at one point, which offers extensive support including a bursary and mentoring – this doesn’t necessarily translate into sales. The main aim of the project is to provide the fledgling brands with a more direct line to their customers, who will no doubt be frantically clicking away from behind their computer screens until every last piece is sold.
The Innovators capsule collection is now available exclusively from Matchesfashion.com.
