A new generation of female designers is re-writing the rules of U.K. fashion, building fiercely devoted communities and compelling visions of modern femininity

By Violet Conroy

London Fashion Week has always had a rebellious do-it-yourself spirit when it comes to emerging talent (courtesy of the city’s top-tier design schools; see Phoebe Philo, Simone Rocha, and Grace Wales Bonner, all of whom studied at Central Saint Martins). However, there’s a new wave of female British designers—Talia Byre, Johanna Parv, Yasmina Atta, Lucila Safdie, and Ronan McKenzie—who are forgoing the relentless seasonal structure, where cash-strapped young designers are expected to deliver two runway shows per year, and are instead forging intimate new ways of capturing the hearts and minds of their devoted following, from pop-up shops to panel discussions. READ ON