On/Off SS10: Boys Bolster the Fashion Ranks.

With the BFC opening up its doors to many’s a new London-based talent with foundations like Fashion Forward and NEWGEN, it’s easy to forget there are still a host of designers that didn’t receive the privilege of on-schedule status.

On/Off, the original independent showcase established in 2003, offers a helping hand to those showing outside of BFC boundaries. With live footage on demand (via their website) throughout LFW, the democratisation of catwalk fashion, and the deconstruction of the industry’s [often] elitist policy regarding the showcasing of fashion, is more apparent than ever.

And with alumni including Mark Fast, Peter Pilloto and Hannah Marshall, this is not some half-arsed event for students to have one last bash before they fall into the dark depths of anonymity, but rather a platform for emerging talent to mature, develop and influence the evolution of the art. And isn’t that what London Fashion Week (in particular) has always been about?

Undoubtedly, SS10 is an especially strong season for menswear. I dug around to learn a little more about the boys repping the boys, this LFW…

Pakistan-born UCCA-grad Beekay makes his debut – after three years under the collective watchful eye of duo Aminaka Wilmont – with a distinctly Rick Owens-esque collection. It smacks of sci-fi, not only due to the lookbook’s styling (gas-mask, anyone?) but also due to the designer’s affection for experimentation – latex-cindered denim, leather-panelled knits etc. Dystopian and desirable, his SS10 exhibition’s bound to have significant impact…

^ AW08

CSM-grad Georgy Baratashvili, originally from Russia, has already fashioned a niche in the London fashion canvas with his masterfully-draped, sportswear-infused staples from AW09. In addition, he’s also bagged the 2007 Puma Redesign award for a range of accessories that could potentially have me swapping brogues for trainers…well, almost.

^ AW09

Romanian-label Rozalb de Mura landed in my inbox a few months back with an enticingly dark, Vibskov-esque collection accentuated by disco-esque detailing (read: metallic pants..WANT). A brand that’s as mercurial in aesthetic as this, is guaranteed to impress with a radically different look each season.

^ AW09

From scouring the On/Off site, there are at least another two labels offering men’s looks including London cult-classic KTZ and Orschel-Read, whose latest collection is inspired by Virginia Woolf’s Orlando and bursting with fittingly abstract sartorial ideas (check the lookbook here) and a good dose of gender-bending, which is also something LFW has a dab hand for…

Images/Screencaps from designers’ respective sites