Six Designers To Watch At The London Collections: Men

Here at The FADER we've have made no attempt to hide our love for the London menswear scene. From the the fluffy pink track suits of Nasir Mazhar to the semi-militant tailoring of Casely-Hayford, we've arduously followed this bubbling style scene from our home here across the pond. Today, months of sketching, endless fittings and sleepless nights full of pattern cutting culminate in the three days of catwalk shows and presentations at the bi-annual London Mens' Fashion Week. While we continue to champion designers like Shaun Samson, Alex Mattsson and Martine Rose, it's only right that we show love to next generation of menswear labels staking their claim during this hectic week. Here are our six designers to watch this week at the London Men's Collections.

Since graduating from Central St. Martins and the Royal College of Art, designer Alex Mullins has quickly built his name on tailored menswear with fanciful accents. A true upstart on the UK fashion scene, Mullins' penchant for fusing the straight lines of masculine tailoring and feminine embellishments has charted new frontiers in gender bending menswear. DD

Boasting the design ethos of creating garments that are elemental, functional and enduring, Raj Mistry and Richard Brand, the newbie designers behind Vidur, are making a splash with natty sportswear, daring cuts and ankle-baring proportions. Bridging the continental divide, this label brings together an unfussy Nordic sensibility and the UK's love for a proper trackie. DD

Designer Tom Ryling stands out from the pack with a cavalier approach to proportions and kooky fabrications. Presenting his line as part of the Fashion East collective, Ryling's trademark look, known as a "streetwear prayer robe", is fearlessly layered with burlap crop tops worn over transparent PVC tunics atop acid wash jeans. DD

With cross-continental roots planted in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire and Paris, France, designer Laurence Chauvin Buthaud's menswear label merges Minimalist tailoring with rich West African textiles. Continuing in the tradition of cultural exchange, LaurenceAirline’s spring 2014 collection boasts a delicate palette inspired by Miami's Art Deco District and the acidic tones of David Hockney paintings. DD

Charting the future of the androgynous subcultural territory that Raf Simons opened up over a decade ago, Nicomede Talavera is already stocked at important boutiques like LN-CC, Oki-Ni and Opening Ceremony; future collections only promise to solidify him as an avant-garde authority. A sure-to-be-coveted collaboration with popular knapsack brand EASTPAK means you’re going to be seeing his name on more than a few kids’ backs in 2014. AF

Cottweiler is design duo Matt Dainty and Ben Cottrell, and though they work with some of the streetwear themes that London men’s collections has become famous for in the past year or so, they take it to a decidedly darker destination than their peers. Spring’s tracksuits and windbreakres were done with haunting black and white shine, which only has us excited to see what kind of deep duds they’ll make for fall. AF