TEXT : NATALIE CATHERINE BELL .
FUTUREICONS
WITH SUCH PROMINENT FIGURES IN BRITISH DESIGN WHO HAVE SHAPED OUR PAST AND OUR PRESENT , WHO WILL BE LEAVING A PROVISION FOR OUR FUTURE , WHOSE NAMES WILL WE BE MENTIONING IN TEN , TWENTY , FIFTY YEARS TIME .
In a society which has gained itself the nickname of the “ shuffle button generation ”, and rightly so , it ’ s becoming seemingly harder to identify the creators before the ideas . The concept of ‘ product over people ’ has been pioneered by our never ending need for consumption , we have an underlying desire within all of us to buy ‘ stuff ’. The overwhelming prevalence of our product devouring ways is initiating an ignorance in our appreciation for the creators , the innovators , the protagonists in design ; something that in previous decades we have had a stronger value for . Generations before us have left a legacy and catalogue of iconic figures within the creative industries that we recognise for their works of design ; Alexander McQueen , David Downton , Peter Saville , David Chipperfield , Vivienne Westwood , the list is endless . But who is going to lead on this legacy , and challenge the means of convention and innovation that we see today . Think of this as a go-to guide of who to watch , who is being talked about and who we feel is a ‘ Future Icon ’.
ABBEY WATKINS
Graduating with first class honours two years ago in Textile Design for Fashion from Manchester Metropolitan , British illustrator and print designer Abbey Watkins creates exquisitely intricate and beautiful fashion illustrations . Using a combination of pencil drawings and digital colouring , Watkins constructs multifaceted mutilated depictions primarily of the female form that draw on themes of mythology and the surreal . Her quintessentially archetypal figures encapsulated in kaleidoscopic labrythine prints , she says are ‘ a fight between the conscious and subconscious ’, a prominent manifestation within her portfolio of work . Seemingly her aptitude for creating the ethereal is yet to go unnoticed by the industry , with collaborations with the likes of The Kooples , Nike and Nylon already under her belt , we are sure to see bigger things in years to come from the spirited illustrator .
LUCIA O ’ CONNOR-MCCARTHY
Freelance fashion photographer and all over cool gal , Lucia O ’ Connor-McCarthy , graduated with a degree in Philosophy from her native home in Ireland , and stumbled upon the world of photography as if by chance . Her heavily saturated images that are bold in colour and have an extreme richness to them , alights a new direction in fashion photography . The 24 year old professes to her love of story telling through her imagery , in creating a narrative in order to entice the viewer in . Since her initial appearance for Rankin ’ s ‘ The Hunger ’, Lucia ’ s career has snowballed and shows no sign of slowing down ; from shooting editorials for Reiss , numerous portraits from the likes of Millie Mackintosh to Shingai Shoniwa and numerous spreads for The Hunger , Lurve and Material Girl , this blonde bombshell is sure to be one to keep your eye on .
UNTITLED , FOR SOMEDAYS LOVIN BRIGHTON BABE FOR BALLET OF MAGAZINE