Fashion Forward in the run up to London Fashion Week

As London Fashion Week approaches (17 - 21 September 2010), Harriet Quick, Vogue's Fashion Features Director, follows up on some of the now-leading designers she selected five years ago as ones to watch out for, and looks forward to new rising stars.

When back in 2005 I was asked to be one of the curators of Phaidon’s fashion book: Sample – 100 designers, 10 curators – I honed in on the diverse talents that were creating a real buzz in London from the streamlined chic of Roland Mouret to the graphic prints of Scotsman, Jonathan Saunders. Skip forward five years and London is a very different capital, still rebounding from the recession with a whole new rosta of names, stores, scenes and brands to get excited about. 

London Fashion Week, opening on 17 September, has now taken up a new home at Somerset House, at last shedding the passé feel of the tents perched outside of the Natural History Museum. As any visitor to London knows, they want to experience the capital's true sense of style not ersatz chic. 

And we are way more discerning. In this period of five years, some businesses have flourished with impressive strategies and solid backing, others have floundered, and the path for all has been far from easy.  Roland Mouret has just recently secured the rights back to his name, a wrangle that has taken years to sort out.  In the interim, he has been operating under the RM label with the backing of Simon Fuller at 19 Management, which is also the umbrella home for Victoria Beckham’s collection. Mouret will now be opening a store in Mayfair (February 2011) and showing in Paris this October. At shops like Browns and Net a Porter he is one of the best sellers delivering dresses that really do get results in all senses of the word. 

Giles Deacon, known for his perverse streak of elegance and high craftsmanship has been appointed head of Parisian house Ungaro – one in a long line of Brits heading up French houses.  He will debut his first looks in October while showing his eponymous line in London. They are a clubbable bunch - London designers - and mutually supportive with all sharing the pains of business and aesthetic development. London, after all, is not known for bland. Jonathan Saunders has gone from strength to strength. His first collection (2003) was put together on a shoestring, now he dresses A list stars. One show I always look forward to is Fashion East - the philanthropic ‘laboratory ‘ that showcases three designers a season under the sponsorship of Topshop.  Founder Lulu Kennedy, who works out of a clock tower office in the Truman Brewery, will be celebrating 10 years at the helm of this wonderful organisation that is fuelled on passion.  Her September line up includes RCA graduate Felicity Brown who creates stunning pleated and hand dyed gowns with a cool retro 70s air. Harvey Nichols has already ordered. Now that’s what we call a bright star. 

Harriet Quick is the Fashion Features Director at Vogue