Taiwanese London College of Fashion graduate Ming has a very striking and bold design aesthetic. Based in London he is highly skilled at conceptual designing and pattern cutting. His work features unusually manipulated materials which emulate the forms and shapes of the human body.
 

 
Ming’s AW/2013 collection saw strong and traditionally masculine shapes softened by pastel, patchwork fabrics. It portrays “female beauty and toughness of war” taken from his sources of inspiration; for example the film “Flowers of War”.

This aggressive strength and beauty is carried out throughout all of his collections with the use of contemporary prints and textures and sharp pattern cutting and construction. Each of his garments are beautifully and intricately formed, including one of his most memorable and eye catching pieces from SS 2013; a leather cage overcoat, in which strips upon strips of leather have been linked together with hundreds of silver metal hoops and rivets.
 

 
Layering is also frequently used in his work to present different ideas and techniques. With so much going on in Mingpin Tien’s work it is clear to see how much thought has gone into each piece, to avoid clashing or distraction from each important element.
 
Website: Mingpintien.com 

Name: Juhao Zeng
Age: 24
Occupation: Fashion Designer
Inspiration: Different culture, old photographs
 
We last featured Zeng’s designs in FUSSED’s first ever issue back in October 2011. Zeng is a graduate from Winchester School of Art, and since his third year pre-collection for the university, has gone on to create his own company as well as design a brand new collection for AW/2013, the results of which you can see above.
 
So, what was your inspiration in this particular collection?
 
I was mainly looking at travel culture. I really like how travelers dress by making the most of what they have. I find it very stylish and charming. Based on the classic garment shape, I put lots of time into picking texture fabrics, designing print and also choosing color, so the collection would look contemporary.
 
How did you get into design?
 
I started by looking at Alan Mcweeney’s photography book ‘People of the Road’ which is full of real life photography of Irish travelers, then based on what they wear, picked out the specific garments I liked, and recreated them with my own ideas of pattern cutting, details, and a combination of fabric and color. I tend to design individual pieces first, then when samples reach a certain amount, I mix and match to unify each look.
 
Tell us about your company.
 
I started this company named Black Box Project ltd.  We provide a bespoke, contemporary fashion designing service through my own label JH.ZANE to retail organization, couturiers and private clients.
 
What was your favourite garment to design from the collection?
 
Definitely the mustard and green coat. I would make one for myself.
 
Your work seems very androgynous. Is there a particular reason for this?
 
I think that is my personal style; I have always been very androgynous in what I wear. It reflects in my design too, and this is how I like to dress a women.
 
What are you up to for the rest of the year?

I am working on the sale of this season, but for the meanwhile am in a mode of gathering inspirations for SS14, also 3 potential contract works. It is going to be BUSY, haha, I love it.
 
Website: Jhzane.co.uk
 
You can view FUSSED’s first post on Zeng’s designs here. 

Australian designer and Sydney Institute of Technology graduate, Dion Lee, has a futuristic and sleek signature style. Neoprene fabric is frequently used in his work; this fabric is commonly associated with sporty, modern design and is also used to make sportswear items such as swimming and diving costumes. Dion Lee uniquely manipulates this Neoprene fabric to bring a high end look to his collections. This fabric is paired with neon knits, metallic colours and intricate pattern cutting. Pieces of his garments are held together with nude netting, which gives the impression of floating or hovering pattern pieces. His garments look as if they are levitating perfectly on the body like some unearthly, reptilian ensemble from a scene in “The Fifth Element”.
 
What is admirable about Dion Lee’s work is that he has created practical garments which haven't been technically compromised. His work displays highly skilled tailoring, contrasted with innovative and experimental fabrics and embellishments.
 

 
Dion Lee’s most recent collection SS/2013-14 takes focus away from the neons and metallics to emphasise his bewildering tailoring skills. However this collection still stays true to his signature concept with the use of reflective silver fabrics and striking blue patterns.
 
Images: Vogue.com  Stylebubble.co.uk
               

The young Spanish designer, Eduardo Acquaroni, moved to Paris at the age of 21 to begin his career in fashion on the BFA Fashion Design program. After his first year on the course he moved to New York City to complete the program, which is where he is now based.

His collections are conceptual with a strong commitment to the theme such as his Amazon-esque Into the Wild collection which is full of earthy greens, blues and browns. They are strong pieces as much art as they are fashion.

In Search of Sanity is the most striking of his collections in my opinion. His designs are sleek and futuristic in design, colour and fabric choices. The portfolio reads like a mystical and beautiful dream, with a combination of mermaid meets attractive alien. It may sound wrong, but the result is so right, with the pieces making doubt effervesce in one’s mind. Eduardo quotes Tim Burton in this collection: “One person's craziness is another person's reality.”

If this is crazy then get me a straightjacket, because Acquaroni’s ‘reality’ is stunning.  

Contact: e.acquaroni@gmail.com

Website: Eduardoacquaroni.com 

Images: Notjustalabel.com/acquaroni

Innovative shoe designer Julia Lundsten launched her label in 2004 and has caused quite the stir in the fashion industry. The London-based, Swedish-born designer has been turning heads since her career began. After graduating from London Royal College of Arts in 2003 and winning the prestigious Manolo Blahnik award two years in a row she has experienced a series of successes.  She won Finland’s Young Designer of the Year Award in 2007; the same year high street royalty Topshop carried her Autumn/Winter ‘07/’08 collection in store. In 2010 Elle awarded her the Elle Accessories of the Year award and she has recently caught the eye of no other than the Fashion Bible themselves, Vogue. Her SS /12 collection named Skin is fresh and a cut above the rest, quite literally. Her designs are inspired by architecture, interior design and nature which are reflected in her staple wooden-heeled design. Her pieces are made of leather and wood; the designs have intricate cutwork, with everything from a mid-height cone heel, to mega chunky wedge platforms. The stand-out pieces come in nude and mink hues with colour pop tangerine and turquoise blue flashes. They may be ’12, but these designs have SS/13 written all over them!

Skin is available online: Notjustalabel.com 

Website: Finsk.com 

Images: Notjustalabel.com/finsk 

Johan Ku has been interested in extreme design from an early age. Born in Taipei, he began his artistic career as a graphic designer.  After completing a Master’s course in fashion and design in 2005 and then an MA in fashion at Central Saint Martins in 2009 he has now launched his own knitwear label. You can see how graphic and sculptural design has influenced his work, as his signature style is very bold and striking.

Past collections have been inspired by films such as “Enter the Void”; a trippy film set in a vivid, neon Tokyo: a place of significant interest to Johan Ku.
 

 
Johan Ku’s name is becoming increasingly popular because of his innovative, signature glow-in-the-dark knitwear pieces, which are very futuristic and extra-terrestrial looking. The delicate and chunky contrast of Johan Ku’s “Glowing” collections makes the garments seem even more eerie and phantasmal - just another contributor to the impending futuristic movement in the fashion industry.
                                                                                               
Website: Johanku.com 

Influenced by all that is futuristic; footwear designer Anastasia Radevich creates sculptural works of art that embody her passion in technical design.

Radevich mastered the art of shoe making at London College of Fashion and then went on to fine tune her skills at Alexander McQueen, Nicholas Kirkwood and Bolongaro Trevor (Creator of All Saints.)
 
To date, all of her collections have a similar theme running through them: that of an apocalyptic, distorted world in the future, in which aspects of our present planet have been left behind. It is clear to see how Anastasia Radevich’s interests have influenced her designs.
 
Her most recent collection “Lost Civilizations” is reminiscent of the eroded wreckage of the famous Titanic. Textural, rust coloured leather is adorned with hundreds of likewise sequins. This is all brought together by a decayed, structured heel. Her shoes have a history behind them, which is portrayed with the use of texture, colour, pattern and shape. Her extensive shoe-making knowledge and experience in the footwear industry has helped her to create a footwear label that has pushed boundaries in footwear design history.
 

 
Website: Anastasiaradevich.com 

It is clear to see that living in China has greatly inspired and affected French-born designer Sabine Ducasse. Studying at the International Fashion Academy in Paris and Shanghai must have been the cultural experience that influenced such a vibrant and distinctive graduate collection.

 
Her award winning graduate collection named “The Melting Pot” featured bold patterns, punchy colours and structured body pieces made of thousands of Hama beads fused together. As a true 90’s kid it’s not difficult to see why one could be so attracted to her work, which is reminiscent of the days when everyone owned a gameboy and iPhones were just a sparkle in Steve Jobs’ eyes.
 

 
Ducasse’s great eye for colour and detail is portrayed in her collection, as each element has clearly been designed and considered carefully, to get the most of the patterns and different textures. When using so many components in a collection; it can be hard to avoid clashing, however Sabine Ducasse had effectively avoided this, producing eye catching and memorable garments.

Her fun, retro style and innovative use of materials has proved to be popular with a lot of people; winning her scholarships, fashion awards, a feature and title of “One to watch” in Vogue Italia, not to mention shows in London, Paris and New York.

Now interning for beloved fashion house Alexander McQueen; she hasn’t done too badly for a 2012 graduate.
 
Images: Ifaparis.com   Behance.net
 

 

Any designer who can successfully create a collection based on Unicorns, and present it at London Fashion week deserves a decent pat on the back.
 
Since graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2010, Sophia Webster already has a design job at Nicholas Kirkwood under her belt and two distinguished collections, both of which have been shown at London Fashion week.
 
Webster’s signature style is feminine, sassy and playful, with emphasis on strong shapes and bold colours. Previous sources of inspiration have included Jackson Pollock, Marie Antoinette, My Little Pony and beloved 90’s film Clueless. Other influences include listening to music, as she was brought up listening to her dad’s collection of rare vinyls, which explains why her work has such vibrance and energy. “Music plays a big part in my design process; I can only really focus on designing when I have music on. It’s often an eclectic mix depending on my mood.”
 

 
Her Autumn/Winter 2013 collection was inspired by the famous Peter S. Beagle line from The Last Unicorn; “Always be yourself. Unless you can be a Unicorn. Then always be a Unicorn.” yourself. Polka dots, embroidered pearlescent flowers and gobstopper like beads all contributed to this whimsical collection. Not forgetting the presence of her highly desirable  metallic, Unicorn clutch bag: A true child at heart. 
 

 
With such a fresh design aesthetic and support from highly successful footwear designer Nicholas Kirkwood; it is likely that Sophia Webster could soon become one of the big names in the footwear and fashion industry.
 
Website: Sophia-webster.com 
 
Images: Londonfashionweek.co.uk 

Emma Mulholland’s work is the most colourful and energetic I have seen in a while. Graduating from Sydney’s Ultimo college TAFE, her final collection was clearly inspired by her Australian heritage. Growing up near the sea and surfing throughout her childhood has inspired her vibrant, sporty style. One would even say that her work could pass as beach wear as well as womens/menswear.

 
It is refreshing to see a designer who is so unafraid of colour. Mixing Iguana prints, with tie dye, netting and sequins simply doesn’t faze her.
 
"Fish are freaking insane, like the colors and patterns that are on them are just out of this world. I really do get into different animals. I am looking into lizards at the moment, and they’re just like aliens.”
 
Emma Mulholland’s most recent collection “Spaced Out” has parted from the beach influences, but the use of tie-dye still links the collection back to her signature 90’s surfer style. The collection “Spaced Out” has a lot of attention to detail; with fine embellishments  including thousands of hand sewn sequins, and digital patterns. It is hard to find some thing not to love about this collection.

Her collections have been featured on many magazine websites, including Vogue.it and Dazed Digital. Emma Mulholland is influenced by themes that are close to her heart, which is why her collections are consistently fun and personal.
 

 
Website: Emmamulholland.com
 
Facebook: Facebook.com/Emma-Mulholland