British menswear is the current talk of the town, with London Collections Men kickstarting this weekend. The UK menswear market has grown by 12% in the last five years and continues to rise at an astonishing rate. Traditionally British womenswear brands are capitalizing on this growth by expanding into the men’s market, with the likes of Whistles and Joseph launching robust men’s collections this season. London is intent on being the capital of menswear fashion and with big names like Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Moschino and Tom Ford on the calendar for SS15, it might be on track to be just that.
Established talent aside, the UK is also nurturing some truly exceptional new talent in the realms of men’s fashion, and one such name is Christopher Shannon – the Liverpudlian who was last night awarded the BFC/GQ inaugural menswear fund. Up against Richard Nicoll, Lou Dalton, Patrick Grant and Christopher Raeburn, the designer took home the £150,000 grant and a year long mentoring scheme.
Shannon’s reaction was nothing but endearing – “I did just win that, right? That was mad!” he said. “There were so many people pushing for that prize – and who pushed me to go for it – and I have always considered myself as somewhat anti-establishment, but now people have started recognising my work for what it is. That’s really rewarding.”
The designer known for injecting youth culture and pop references into vibrantly coloured sportswear will show this Sunday in London, and you can get the scoop here!
