Institution
Breaking into Milan Fashion Week is no easy feat for independent labels, given the strong presence of giants like Armani and Versace. Yet, over the last few seasons, Institution, a two-year-old brand founded by 31-year-old Georgian-Azerbaijani designer Galib Gassanoff, has successfully carved out its niche. His collections blend sharp, precise tailoring with imaginative upcycled materials, seen in pieces like a peplum top crafted from shoelaces or a sleeveless garment adorned with rattan placemats.
Gassanoff’s journey into fashion began at 13, captivated by an old John Galliano runway show. Five years later, he moved to Milan to formally study design. He established Institution after departing from his previous label, Act No. 1, which he co-founded with Luca Lin. He describes feeling a personal need to “slow down and take a different path, one more solitary and more personal.” With Institution, Gassanoff boldly experiments with materials while also reinterpreting traditional Azerbaijani clothing and drawing attention to the region’s fading artisanal crafts. His Spring 2026 collection featured jackets with cinched waists, reminiscent of the historical chepkens (a traditional men’s outerwear with fitted bodies and decorative false sleeves), paired with voluminous skirts woven from bulrush. He further collaborated with skilled carpet weavers from Georgia’s Borchaly region to create exquisite hand-knotted and fringed pieces. In a unique effort to bridge history with the present, Gassanoff plans to present his latest collection on February 27th at Milan’s ancient thermal baths.
Raw Mango
Indian designers and those from the Indian diaspora are increasingly capturing global attention, with names like Kartik Kumra and Priya Ahluwalia making waves. Among them is Sanjay Garg, 45, whose New Delhi-based brand, Raw Mango, is set to debut at London Fashion Week on Monday. Established in 2008 and named after India’s national fruit, Raw Mango was born from Garg’s deep dive into a textile project with artisans in Chanderi, a central Indian town renowned for its hand-loom craftsmanship. He reflects that this experience “clarified the relationship I now have with fashion, which is rooted in exploration, engagement and experimentation with craft.”
Historically, Garg has presented elegant saris and kurtas crafted from rich Varanasi silk brocades. This season, his collection, “It’s Not About the Flower,” draws inspiration from the ubiquitous garlands in Indian culture. Garg views these vibrant floral arrangements as a symbol of South Asian society’s pluralism and the collective beauty found in unity. The collection features exquisite silk tuberose and jasmine blossoms, meticulously handcrafted and delicately arranged on embroidered brocades, soft rib-knit cottons, quilted rayon, and wool felt. Garg encourages viewers to appreciate the garments holistically, beyond individual techniques or motifs, stating, “I want them to question how we can read a garment from the subcontinent through a focus on its creative rather than its manual labor.”
Petra Fagerstrom
Swedish designer Petra Fagerstrom, 27, often finds inspiration in topics that provoke a sense of unease. Her Fall 2025 collection, for instance, responded to the rise of conservative ‘trad-wife’ aesthetics on social media among her generation. “I was really frustrated by purity culture and wanted to comment on [the importance of] avoiding nostalgia,” she explains. Fagerstrom ingeniously reimagined Dior’s iconic Bar jacket, a hallmark of femininity since 1947, using AI. Her contemporary iteration retained the original’s cinched waist and flared basque but incorporated lenticular pleats, which shift patterns and transparency depending on the viewing angle. (Notably, the runway presentation featured models wearing high thongs and no bras underneath). She also experimented by feeding a classic bouclé Chanel-style blazer pattern into AI software and embraced the unexpected alterations and glitches that emerged.
Fagerstrom honed her skills at Central Saint Martins in London and Parsons Paris, gaining experience through internships at prestigious houses like Balenciaga and Acne Studios before launching her eponymous brand in 2023. Her entry into fashion was unconventional, stemming from her early days designing her own figure skating costumes. For her upcoming Fall 2026 presentation in London on Monday, she revisits her past with a collection that delves into the complex power dynamics between a “stage mom” and her “star daughter.” Expect a continuation of her signature tailoring and lenticular pleating, and as Fagerstrom hints, “of course there will also be something sparkly,” in homage to her roots.
Goyagoma
London-based designer Traiceline Pratt, 29, draws his inspiration from the ordinary. He states, “I don’t believe in going to the library or traveling across the globe to someone else’s culture to create. And I think the people and things around me are vibrant enough to build the foundation for a beautiful collection.” Pratt’s upbringing in Nassau, Bahamas, led him to the United States in 2014 on a track and field scholarship to North Dakota State University. Despite his passion for watercolor painting, earning him a B.A. in fine art, a former professor’s suggestion that fashion could offer a broader platform for his artistic vision prompted him to pursue a master’s degree at Central Saint Martins.
Last year, following a period working at Phoebe Philo, Pratt established his own label, Goyagoma. The brand’s name is a thoughtful nod to two influential figures: Francisco de Goya, his beloved painter, and Michel Goma, who notably led Balenciaga after its founder’s passing. Pratt’s Spring 2026 collection, “Something to Wear,” aimed to capture the essence of a typical day in his childhood neighborhood. This resulted in practical yet elevated garments—such as a low-belted trench coat and a bomber jacket with an oversized collar—crafted from luxurious fabrics and featuring playful proportions. He continues this narrative into the current season; while the initial collection focused on daytime attire, his latest presentation, showcased yesterday in London as part of the Fashion East talent incubator program, explored the nuances of nighttime fashion. Pratt explains the evolution: the first collection addressed “people’s needs,” while “Part two looks at what people want.”
Thevxlley
Many designers blend art and fashion, but Daniel del Valle, 30, operating as Thevxlley, pushes these boundaries further than most. At London Fashion Week today, he unveils “The Narcissist,” a collection three years in the making. His creations seamlessly merge clothing with surrealist sculpture, incorporating diverse materials from ceramics and glass to delicate flowers. One striking example features a repurposed pottery piece as a top, while another showcases a T-shirt meticulously constructed from discarded Victorian-era ceramic pipes discovered along the River Thames. (Almost all of del Valle’s pieces are unique, one-off designs.) He even transformed his mother’s wedding dress with wax flowers and collaborated with his baker father to create an outfit from bread. Del Valle muses on the wearability of his pieces: “They can be worn but are they meant to be worn? I’m not entirely sure, but that tension is part of the project.”
Originally from a small town in Andalusia, Spain, del Valle moved to London at 19. There, he gained experience as a floral designer and later created ceramic sculptures for an exhibition with lingerie couturier Michaela Stark. He explains his creative process: “When a material or technique catches my interest, I immerse myself in it until I understand it.” Thevxlley, launched last year, is more than just a fashion label; it’s an evolving artistic concept that spans fashion, performance, and potentially even furniture design in the future. As del Valle describes it, “It’s not just a brand but my artistic language. The garden where all my obsessions coexist.”
Yoshita 1967
For 34-year-old Anil Padia, family serves as a profound wellspring of inspiration. His brand, Yoshita 1967, is named in honor of his cherished disabled aunt, born in 1967. Padia states, “She encapsulates what Yoshita stands for: the inherent dignity of every human being, regardless of ability, background or social standing.” His designs frequently incorporate craft traditions from his dual heritage, tracing his ancestors’ emigration from Gujarat, India, to Nyeri, Kenya, over a century ago. Padia studied at Central Saint Martins and La Chambre Syndicale in Paris, gaining experience at esteemed fashion houses such as Paco Rabanne, Jacquemus, and Y/Project. However, it wasn’t until his return to Nairobi during the pandemic that his creative vision truly coalesced. He recalls feeling “like an outsider” before this period, noting that “Yoshita was born from that rupture. It was about reclaiming my voice and creating a space where what I had to say held value.”
In Nairobi’s Parklands neighborhood, Padia established his studio, collaborating with former colleague Catherine Wanjalo, now his head of studio, and gradually cultivating a network of local artisans. His Spring 2025 debut collection, “Temple Road,” presented in Paris and Cape Town, showcased an exquisite range of garments: slinky halter-neck dresses, elegant backless sheaths, knee-length skirts, intricate headdresses, and scarves. These pieces, featuring various crochet techniques, were often adorned with tiny round mirrors and delicate silver bells. Padia emphasizes the symbolism of the bells: “For me, they speak of shared cultures, dance, mysticism, history and personal memory.” He is set to launch a made-to-order bridal collection online in late March and plans to unveil more “couture-driven” pieces, exploring corsetry and lingerie, in Paris this fall.