Thebe Magugu Spring/Summer 2023 - 'Discard Theory'

Shortly after graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2016, Kiko Kostadinov was approached by Asics, a bold move at the time, since designer sneaker collaborations with the Japanese sportswear brand were essentially unprecedented. Their partnership debuted with the Gel-Burz in 2018 and has continued for nearly a decade since, producing cult releases like the Gel-Kiril and Gel-Quantum Zientzia. The relationship deepened over time: Kostadinov and his design team, including womenswear designers Laura and Deanna Fanning, eventually moved into an advisory and curatorial role within Asics's SportStyle division, culminating in Novalis, his own dedicated sub-label operating fully inside the company. As Kostadinov put it himself, "From day one, Asics showed an openness and willingness towards the new ideas and new directions that the Kiko Kostadinov design team presented to them."

Grace Wales Bonner was born in South London to a Jamaican father and an English mother, and that dual heritage sits at the center of her design practice. She graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2014 (classmates with fellow designer Kiko Kostadinov) and launched her menswear label the same year, quickly earning attention for tailoring that explores Black male identity and sexuality through deep research spanning literature, critical theory, and history. In 2016, at just 25, she won the LVMH Prize, one of fashion's most prestigious awards, decided unanimously by a jury that included Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Riccardo Tisci, and Phoebe Philo. Philo described her clothes as immediately recognizable, "prim tailoring with an empire flare," and noted that even though the line was technically menswear, "everyone felt that women want to wear that stuff." The prize came with €300,000 and a year of mentorship from LVMH executives.

The Row's origin story is famously modest. At just 18, Ashley Olsen set out to design the perfect T-shirt, unsatisfied with what was already on the market. She tested prototypes on women ranging from ages 20 to 60, across a range of body types, trying to nail down the ideal fit before the concept expanded into leather leggings and eventually a full ready-to-wear line. Olsen and her twin sister Mary-Kate formally founded the brand in 2005, naming it after Savile Row, London's historic street of bespoke tailoring, a deliberate signal that the label was about construction and craft rather than celebrity branding. Barneys New York purchased their first collection of seven pieces, and The Row has since become one of the most respected examples of "quiet luxury" and minimalist design in the industry, with Mary-Kate serving as creative director and Ashley as CEO.