The Bite Magazine - Autmn/Winter 2020 - Issue 28

bitecatwalk do. I have a little ‘gangsta girl’ in me that would not let me give up on my passion...despite my internal fears and reservations.” The designer decided to rebrand Okami Ldn this year to be more high fashion but still affordable. She introduced a new concept to her designs called Adire, which is a tie-dye technique common in the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria. Caroline also partnered with a manufacturing company in Lagos, Nigeria and together they ensure all the styles made are ethically sourced and manufactured. She is hoping to design a range using different fabrics and techniques like silk, chiffon, and lace. The second designer to show her collection was Latoyah London, who specialises in exclusive wom- enswear - evening and party dresses. She is a new generation fashion brand that lives and breathes creating “everlasting memories through the outfits that girls and women wear.” Latoyah is a storyteller through her breathtaking geometric prints. Just like the founder herself, her couture-like designs repre- sent the modern, confident and beautiful essence of a woman. When choosing the name of her brand, she purposefully added London at the end because the capital city has always inspired her to create her work and has produced several iconic designers that she admires. During her segment, Latoyah showcased digital prints on long sleeve sweatshirts, side wrap skirts, cross strap and digi dresses, coats and puffer jackets. The young designer developed her print inspiration from beautiful manifestations of architecture and structures from cathedrals and elegant stain glass windows. She also captivated simplicity and sophisti- cation of the feminine form through vivid prints and streamlined silhouettes that were heavily featured. The aesthetic structure was inspired by methods and processes that are strongly linked to minimal- ism — using simplistic straps with as little seam construction as possible to allow for aesthetically pleasing finishes. The designer says she has always been inspired by art, design, and the many museums and galleries that the city has to offer. In college, she studied Art & Design and went on to study Designer Pattern Cutting at the London College of Fashion. While following her dreams, Latoyah gained a BA in Fashion Design at the University of East London, where she was able to combine her love of print design and fashion. The young designer became the first-ever student to sell her graduate print collec- tion to the House of Fraser. “I have always wanted to create a design from scratch,” she told us. “I pat- tern-cut it to be able to develop it into a beautiful, unique and exclusive garment.” At the moment, Latoyah is working on the Spring/ Summer 2021 collection and excited to debut it.The creative is hoping to collaborate with other brands and expand her horizons in the fashion world as her love for prints and universal interpretation of design already speaks volumes. Last but not least, was Saint Giovanni De La Mode, a fashion brand that blends contemporary and his- torical styles to create a unique, urban and trendy collection.The originality behind SGDLM provides a level of exclusiveness for its customers and continues to be driven by lifestyle, technological advancements, and trends. Roby, creative director and founder shared that he focuses on building relationships with customers and getting to know them personally to meet their expectations and requirements. “Today, fashion is constantly evolving,” he said. “And we are now more frequently being met with a repe- tition of trends.” One thing for sure is Roby’s designs are nothing like you have ever seen before. During the show, the creative director featured his most popular pieces: desert crop tops, M&M scarf top, flannel check shirts, a unisex oversized down jacket, track pants, Species long sleeve t-shirt and Species vintage wash oversized t-shirt. The other significant mention goes to Ashley Stunna who worked as head of styling and producer of the glam team for the show, assisted by Mercedes Wilinda Bahame. Ashley is also a founder of Fashion Haul, a unique creative agency with fashion pop-ups, brunches, workshops, panel talks, and wellbeing. She has set her eyes on making her agency the most prominent and raw talent business for young creatives. The young mompreneur is a contemporary fashion stylist and creative director, who has many brands and celebrities under her belt. These include Puma, ASBO Magazine, Lauren Marshall, and many more. She draws her inspiration from fellow stylist/crea- tive director Misa Hylton (former stylist for Lil’ Kim) who created many iconic looks on the red carpet and beyond. Ashley shared, “For me, styling is a mood. It’s all in the way you feel and your mindset, to be able to execute it in your work.And my goals are to style more red carpet moments, billboards and iconic editorials in the biggest magazines.” Emerging designers Okami Ldn, Latoyah London, and Saint Giovani De La Mode whose purposefulness, vision and undeniable talent were bursting through the beautiful designs and garments during London Fashion Show are fiercely climbing the ladder of success. Urban MBA, Lstn Up Ldn and Puma Sport- style have provided these young entrepreneurs with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and allowed them to have ownership of their voice and a sense of belong- ing in a closed-door environment that the fashion world can sometimes be. The designers not only showcased their dream driven work but also proved once again that their unique and authentic stories matter.To me, it means one more doors unlocked for prosperous young adults to become their true and best selves. It is a significant start to the new decade in which we can finally seek representation we want! https://urbanmba.co.uk