REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion is the latest fashion exhibition to open at the Design Museum in London. The exhibition, which opened to coincide with London Fashion Week aims to celebrate over 300 young designers and the sensational impact they have had on the global fashion scene. It offers a look at how careers in fashion are forged, with particular reference to the NEWGEN programme that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
NEWGEN is an initiative that was established by the British Fashion Council in 1993 to support the best-emerging fashion designers in the UK. It was set up at a time when London was in a deep recession and could not compete with the fashion industries in New York, Milan, or Paris. The programme offers financial support and mentoring to designers in the early stages of their careers and is recognised globally as the most established designer development scheme.
Lee Alexander McQueen, who was the first NEWGEN recipient, and whose debut collection Taxi Driver is featured in this exhibition is now recognised as one of the most influential designers in recent decades. As well as McQueen, over 300 designers and NEWGEN alumni including Christopher Kane, Charles Jeffrey, Erdem, J.W. Anderson, Mary Katrantzou, Molly Goddard, Roksanda, and Simone Rocha are also featured in the exhibition.
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Highlights of the exhibition include Marjan Pejoski’s ‘swan’ dress which dominated headlines after Björk wore it to the Oscars in 2001 and Sam Smith’s custom latex suit by HARRI that the singer wore to the 2023 BRIT Awards.
Having visited the exhibition myself last week, I have to say it is the best fashion exhibition I have been to in a while and definitely worth a visit if you can. It’s hard not to feel inspired when you’re there. To be able to see so many iconic pieces up close, now knowing the struggles some of the designers went through to create them, has no doubt motivated a whole new generation of creatives.
In fact, whilst I was there, in the very first room of the exhibition, I spoke to a young designer who had lost hope of ever succeeding in the industry. She was unaware of the NEWGEN initiative, but having seen the exhibition, felt inspired to carry on her passion knowing there was support for people like her.
As co-curator Sarah Mower, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent and guest-curator of REBEL said: “The best outcome is that young people come, and be inspired. Talent isn’t distributed by parental income, and NEWGEN was set up to support promising designers on the basis of talent and financial need.” This exhibition not only showcases some amazing British talent. It has also been curated to make you feel.
Tickets for the REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion exhibition sponsored by Alexander McQueen are on sale here.