London is alive with a new generation of designers who move instinctively between the studio, the gym, and the club. Their clothes stretch, shimmer, and breathe – merging performance with pleasure in ways that feel utterly of the moment.
In Old Street, Chiara Fairfax transforms lycra into something mischievously sensual; in East London, Jane Fu imagines garments as shelters for a nomadic, near-future world. Jake Zhang, with an architect’s precision, retools sportswear for a digital age, while Cecile Tulkens finds quiet poetry in wool – the original performance fabric.
Each is building something distinctly their own, blurring the boundaries between sport, fashion, and function. Together, they sketch a portrait of London design today: energetic, intelligent, and alive to the body in motion.
Not everyone gets it, but those who do, love it
— Chiara Fairfax
Designer name: Chiara Fairfax
Date brand founded: 2023
Location: Old Street, London
What inspired you to start your brand?
During lockdown I taught myself to sew and became obsessed with performance fabrics — soft, stretchy materials that feel luxurious. I began making reversible lycra sets blending sportswear and lingerie.
How would you describe your aesthetic?
Bold, unapologetic, rebellious — always with a sporty edge. Sportswear feels inherently sexy to me, and I amplify that energy in my designs.
What inspires you most?
Theatrical nightclubs, vintage lingerie, cheerleading costumes, and the 2002 Agent Provocateur A Sporting Life annual.
What’s been your biggest challenge?
Being in a niche space — not everyone gets it, but those who do, love it. That keeps me focused.
How do you want people to feel in your pieces?
Like the version of themselves they’ve always imagined.
Designer name: Jane Fu
Date brand founded: 2025
Location: East London
What inspired you to start your brand?
It began as a response to our generation’s shifting existence between the synthetic and natural. I wanted to explore where humanity stands in that flux.
How would you describe your aesthetic?
Nomadic futurism — merging outdoor heritage and urban innovation, rooted in my Central Asian upbringing.
What influences you most?
Speculative philosophy, sci-fi, and nomadic culture. I combine traditional materials like cashmere with technical design to blur nature and city.
Biggest challenge so far?
Positioning the brand beyond fashion’s system — designing purposeful garments as a bridge between body and environment.
What should people feel wearing your clothes?
Comfort, protection, and quiet confidence for an ever-changing world.
Designer name: Jake Zhang
Date brand founded: 2025
Location: London
What inspired you to start your brand?
After studying architecture, I wanted to craft with my hands. Fashion lets me test ideas fast — sportswear especially pushes boundaries.
How would you describe your aesthetic?
A futuristic take on menswear — blending digital culture, function, and sensuality through sportswear.
Your main influences?
Anime, gaming, gym culture, early 2000s fashion, and UK streetwear.
Biggest challenge or breakthrough?
Balancing sustainability with growth — I upcycle prototypes and showed my AW25 collection at London Fashion Week.
What do you want wearers to feel?
Joy, comfort, and excitement about the future.
Designer name: Cecile Tulkens
Date brand founded: 2020
Location: Hackney, London
How would you describe your aesthetic?
Heritage-adjacent — reworking wool as an original sports material with a modern sensibility.
What inspires you?
Process. I’m guided by how materials behave, age, and evolve through making.
Biggest breakthrough?
Collaborations with Andrew at Departamento (LA) and Josh at Twos (London) — expanding my approach through dialogue.
How do you want people to feel?
Like themselves — grounded, comfortable, and connected to what they wear.
