Fashion

Hong Kong-born Hon began experimenting with fashion young, allegedly snipping a dress from a bin bag at the age of five. His graduate collection, inspired by packaging design and featuring trompe l’oeil knitwear, blazes a similarly bold trail. Hon’s pleated looks earned him offers from major department stores, but for now he’s joined New York-based brand Prabal Gurung. www.ethanhon.com

Our pick of fashion's finest new names – ready to set tomorrow's sartorial agenda with every stitch and seam

Fashion: Zoë Sinclair; Writer: Katrina Israel; Photography: Billy Ballard

After blue-chip internships at Dior Homme and Hermès, Pierre Campo’s menswear debut united high-quality fabrications with an ‘under construction’ approach: pockets were tacked on, seams left fraying, and sleeves cut from a single piece of fabric to give an unfinished effect. All of which has stood him in good stead for his new role at Acne Studios.

Inspired by John Chamberlain’s car crash sculptures, the young Malaysian designer sprayed wool and jersey with liquid rubber and developed a new type of neoprene he calls ‘suitprene’ – bonding suiting fabric with foam and traditional lining. This great unpicking of traditional tailoring spawned jackets with surplus sleeves and a job at New York label Public School. www.kitwoo.net

‘Conflicting worlds inspire me,’ says the Scottish designer of her textile pairings that see netting intertwined with fur, leopard print, brocade and PVC. ‘There is something unique, beautiful yet painful about the clash of these elements,’ she adds. Given her affinity with Alessandro Michele’s collaged style, it comes as no surprise that Darwell is now based at Gucci in Rome. www.morwennadarwell.co.uk

Blurring gender boundaries, the Berlin-based designer amped up the sensuality of the classic men’s wardrobe with feminine touches. Clearly inspired by Savile Row (Effenberger interned in London with Christopher Kane), checked wools featured heavily, while mohair knitwear was fused with horsehair foundations to sculpt jumpers with exaggerated hips. www.saraheffenberger.de

The winner of the 2015 Hyères Prize reimagined the humble apron, proposing new ways to wrap the body. Judge Karl Lagerfeld was clearly charmed and Schubert’s next collection will include the support of Chanel, the prize’s sponsor, and its Métiers d’Art ateliers. The designer is also working on a collaboration with French brand Petit Bateau. www.annelieschubert.com

The Taiwanese designer, who studied in San Francisco, took an armoured approach to his graduate collection. The 16th-century battlefield’s layering of protective metal plates directly inspired Lee’s avant-garde take on tailoring, while the same Renaissance armour’s elaborate decoration was referenced in his softer, embroidered velvet and embossed corduroy pieces.

While working at London’s Royal Opera House, Freeburn found himself romanced by its Renaissance costumes. The stage was set for a slightly off-kilter historic tryst, with Freeburn focusing on exaggerated silhouettes and unusual shapes rather than the period’s elaborate embellishments – restraint no doubt learned during internships with Alexander McQueen and Lanvin. www.sebastianfreeburn.co.uk

‘Modernist ideals of utopian dressing’, offered the Manchester-born designer when asked to describe her collection. Here the white men’s shirt found itself with exaggerated proportions, while a deconstructed corset was pierced with a nipple ring. The confident mix of superior patternmaking and subversive adornment has since earned Jeffs a job with Mary Katrantzou.

Utku Serkan Zengin’s collection, tagged ‘I Wonder as I Wander’ re-interprets traditional Ottoman dress with the application of Italian tailoring techniques. In a spicy palette of ochre, peach and pistachio, shrunken and swollen 1930s-style suiting, featuring nipped-in jackets and pleated trousers, was further exaggerated for the modern man.