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Up and Coming

By Celia Pavlaki

These days, the title "Up-and-Coming-Designer" seems to be followed by numerous up-and-coming problems. Making it into a saturated market, winning a hard-to-impress audience and sticking around long enough to enjoy it, is a luxury. Polish born, St.Martins educated Arkadius shares: "I left Poland because there were no fashion schools. In England I exploded artistically but after graduation, reality hit me hard". Less established Marli Darling, shifts the problem from education to the global industry's price war whereas Greece based designer Katerina Alexandraki feels it's the lack of enthusiasm from the press and the PRs towards new names. No matter where they are based, young designers' first steps will be blessed or cursed by the following factors. Be prepared:

EDUCATION
Some 30,000 fashion graduates are released on the market each year, most dreaming of becoming the next Galliano. The education system has long been blamed for a hyper-artistic approach, which later leaves them clueless in regards to production and technological issues.

International Herald Tribune fashion editor Suzy Menkes who recently received the French National Order of the Legion of Honour for her dedication to fashion journalism, once gave a very colourful example of the situation: "fashion school students almost fainted when Gianni Versace said at his V&A lecture that he spends two months a year on the road visiting his factories. He named all of them and explained how he likes to be there while the first of the first runs are made. I mean it, the students almost fainted".

But the situation is improving. After a few shocking cases of bankruptcies, including the talented Hussein Chalayan, students are beginning to learn to put their feet firmly on the ground. If the educational establishment is not to blame too many brief and unfortunate careers, then who is?

THE INDUSTRY
Industry insiders have their own story to tell. Mathew Murphy, a spokesperson for Conduit Street's B-Store, explains: "Each year we view graduate collections, mainly of London colleges and we choose based on the designs. We take on two to four graduates a year and we keep stocking them depending on how well they sell and whether they are able to keep producing a collection after graduating".

Ross, the manager of Browns Focus, shares the same point of view on stock and sales and adds that it is not a "young designer thing"; they had even stopped ordering Helmut Lang for a certain period due to poor quality and demand. "Names do disappear. This is an overcrowded market and too many people jump on the bandwagon. It is like music, many people think they can make it, but only a few do so. You don't just find some factory somewhere in the Midlands and produce your line. It is all about good manufacturing, aesthetics, photography and styling".

Others find different ways of supporting talent. The collaborations between young designers and high street stores through diffusion lines are very common these days. Topshop, Debenhams and New Look have given designers like Sophia Kokosalaki and Julien Macdonald the opportunity to produce highly commercial and affordable pieces under their label in order to fund their individual collections.

The owner of B-Store tells us: "If you are a young designer these days, it is most likely you are going to produce a line for Topshop. This means though that no one will buy your own collection afterwards because there's a more affordable alternative". But designers still collaborate with high street stores and still struggle on: they need money, wherever it comes from.

Where has the so-hyped Sophia Kokosalaki gone for the last two seasons and why has Pringle of Scotland landed in Milan? Boudicca, meanwhile, have left London to show in New York. Last year they had notably stated: "It is easy to start in London but you get to the point when you mature and have to leave because London cannot support maturity. Shouldn't you be able to do things in the country where you grew up and where your parents live?"

THE PRESS
The saturated industry and the very basic support of the state have always been favourite excuses for the faults of the fashion scene, both in Britain and abroad. Reading the mainstream fashion magazines and newspapers highlights another issue: lack of in depth coverage and promotions of what we are so proud of - those bright young things.

Not long ago, a journalist decided to confess her indifference towards the unknown in the fashion pages of one of the best selling papers in town, explaining how she threw away at least 30 invitations for shows at Paris couture week - mainly from designers she had never heard of.

This lack of curiosity in the new creativity and arrogant attitude from someone from a city that thrives on fresh young talent is deeply disturbing. If Paris can't get the journalistic juices on fire, then we fear what happens back in London.

A chat with some English shoppers shows that we don't know much about our own talent. "British designers? McQueen. No one else comes in mind. I sometimes see their work in the magazines but their names never stick as each issue presents somebody new whom they rarely mention again" says Oli, 27.

"Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Mathew Williamson. I don't know any up and up-and-coming designer names," adds Claire, 25.

None of the interviewed shoppers could come up with the names of last season's newcomers. Those who regularly read the alternative magazines that usually support young artists say there are so many new names that come and go that they can no longer be bothered with memorising them or paying much attention. And none seems to be willing to pay the same price for a new label as they would spend on an established brand, regardless of the quality of the garment.

FINAL THOUGHT
Is England a bad starting point? Is Italy taking better care of young talent or maybe the States? At the end of the day, the grass is always greener on the other side or so we like to think.

No matter where they come from, designers of the 21st century have to realise that the means to achieve their goal are not limited to originality and creativity. They also need to practice planning skills and common sense, something that has proven hard to teach in fashion classes. Moreover, quality and design do not have to be unaffordable and unapproachable. There are not enough A-list celebrities for everyone to dress. Designs are born inside one's imagination but are sold in a reality we all share. As for the press, good public relations, persistence and constant reminders of your existence are the tactics that seem to pay off.

It is true, up-and-coming designers face similar difficulties whether in the UK or abroad: naïve education, globalized industry, snobbish editors. Whether you live in London -the Mecca of young talent- or not, be critical, observative and be prepared to make many friends.

Now that you know the game, it is time to play.