Gracey Owusu-Agyemang, Taottao, and Steve O Smith feature in the first instalment of our new series, where we take a look at the rising fashion designers changing the game.
@_christopherreid
@_christopherreid
There is no shortage of talent in the fashion industry, and over the past decade, social media has created a somewhat even playing field for designers from all across the globe to share their work. However, it is also arguably an oversaturated market, and getting one’s designs to the right people can often feel like shouting into the void. Our new series, Wonderland Rising, aims to help. We’ll be scouring the internet to find the best new talent and champion the voices who are making a difference. In our first instalment, we highlight Maximilian Raynor, Christopher Reid, and more. Keep scrolling…
And for your chance to be featured, use the hashtag #WonderlandRising on Instagram and we’ll take a look at your work!
Gracey Owusu-Agyemang
@_christopherreid
CSM graduate and Canada Goose HumaNature Award for Responsible Design recipient Gracey Owusu-Agyemang is making regenerative agriculture cool. Contributing to a more circular fashion industry, the designer grows regenerative cotton in her birthplace of Lusaka, Zambia and turns them into wearable pieces — just like magic.
Trashy Clothing
@trashyclothing
@trashyclothing
Self described as an “anti-luxury luxury label,” Palestinian brand Trashy Clothing is not afraid to make a statement. With a unique voice and satirical approach, their bold, kitschy looks discuss issues ranging from ethnicity, race, gender, and sexuality — and have been worn by the likes of Bella Hadid and Julia Fox.
Steve O Smith
@steve_o_smith
@steve_o_smith
London-based designer Steve O Smith brings sketches to life. Proving that drawings are not only beautiful on paper, he uses creative construction and fabric appliqué to turn his expressionist 2D line work into wearable pieces of art — capturing and elevating the emotion and movement of his gestures in a new medium. After developing his process while completing his MA at Central Saint Martins, Smith has gone on to work with celebrity stylist Harry Lambert — providing pieces for the likes of Harry Styles and Eddie Redmayne.
Christopher Reid
@_christopherreid
@_christopherreid
Christopher Reid makes us want to listen to “Doll Parts,” step into a gothic horror film in a lace babydoll, and destroy the killer with an unexpected ease that nobody saw coming. After graduating from Edinburgh College of Art with a BA in Fashion, the queer Scottish designer founded their label with a clear visual identity that has only grown stronger in the past few years. Made to order pageant dresses, patchwork graphic tees, velvet ribbons, and corsets reclaim the “female hysteria” trope in a defiant nature. And we’re obsessed.
Taottao
@taottao__
@taottao__
Walking into the world of Taottao, it’s difficult not to fall in love. Greeted by sensual fabrics sculpted into hearts, distressed denim, intricate corsetry, surprising faux fur accents, playful layering, and muted shades of greens, you’re instantly transported into a sweetly rebellious fairyland. The work of Yitao Li, an FIT graduate who has interned for the likes of Monse, Thom Browne, and Kim Shui, Taottao is no doubt just getting started.
Carboot
@__carboot__
@__carboot__
Katie Bremnar’s Carboot is what dreams are made of. Inspired by the homemade treasures found buried in carboots and yard sales, the designer sculpts bags by hand using ancient felting techniques — and the result is playful, bold, and utterly unique.
Maximilian Raynor
@maximilianraynor
@maximilianraynor
Fuelled by an interest in history and storytelling, Maximilian Raynor conveys characters through fabric, crafting non-conforming romantic and dramatic designs that are sure to make heads turn.
