Who's Next supports designers
Up-and-coming designers to showcase collections within trade show's Fame area.

June 2012.
Images from l-r: Rajinder Johal collection, Emily Edge and collections, Tariq Mahmoud and his collection.

Who's Next Prêt-à-Porter Paris has teamed up with Arts Thread, for the second time, to help launch the careers of 10 up-and-coming designers from across the globe.

The talented designers - across womenswear, menswear, footwear and accessories/jewellery - are being given the opportunity to showcase their collections within the Fame area of the trade show this season, which takes place from June 30 to July 3, 2012.

Isabella Griffiths takes a closer look at three contestants from the UK, who will be exhibiting their designs on this special platform.

Tariq Mahmoud is a fashion design student from London’s prestigious Royal College of Art. His work has been inspired by the elegance and simplicity of men’s classic models. Mahmoud’s signature style is based on a harmony between the lines and the shapes, experimenting with new materials and combining them together.

Rajinder Johal studies women’s fashion at the Royal College of Art and is also a finalist at the John Lewis young designer contest, as well as being pre-selected for the Topshop Prize. His colourful womenswear collections, which fuse elegance with a unique edge, have already attracted the attention of the fashion world and will certainly draw attention at the Paris show, too.

Finally, Northumbria University of Newcastle student Emily Edge gives her own interpretations of masculine codes by associating classic elements with elements from the world of sports and unusual patterns. Her style is based on the fusion of tradition and modernity, drawing the clothes by hand as well as using computer-generated prints. Edge was a finalist at the Hermès contest in 2010 and Topman contest in 2012.

• Who's Next Prêt-à-Porter Paris takes place from June 30 to July 3, 2012, at Porte de Versailles, Paris.
• More information on the designers can be found here.