Blog •
23/09/23
Back in September 2023, I had the chance to visit REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion at the Design Museum, a major exhibition in partnership with the British Fashion Council (BFC) that celebrates three decades of NEWGEN talent. Curated by Sarah Mower MBE and Rebecca Lewin, this exhibition was an incredible deep dive into the stories, people, and moments that have shaped contemporary British fashion.
It wasn’t just visually stunning. It was thought-provoking, emotional, and incredibly relevant, especially for those of us working at the intersection of design, innovation, and education.
NEWGEN has long been a platform for emerging designers, helping to build some of the most iconic names in British fashion. This exhibition brought together nearly 100 looks from debut and early collections, each one telling a different story about creativity, disruption, and resilience.
It was exciting to see so many designs that have become part of wider cultural conversations, like Björk’s swan dress, Harry Styles’ look in ‘Golden’, and Sam Smith’s inflatable latex suit by HARRI from the 2023 BRIT Awards. These weren’t just garments, they were bold statements.
One of the standout takeaways for me was revisiting the early work and career of Alexander McQueen. His presence in the exhibition was a strong reminder of how fashion can go beyond surface-level aesthetics. McQueen told stories. He used his collections to provoke, inspire, and communicate difficult ideas, and that approach still resonates deeply within the industry today.
It reinforced something I often say in training sessions: tools like CLO3D are most powerful when they’re used to support storytelling, not replace it.
I was especially drawn to the club scene section of the exhibition, where pieces worn by artists like Sam Smith were on display. This part captured the raw, unfiltered energy of youth culture and self-expression. It celebrated the idea that fashion can be a tool for identity, for protest, and for joy, something that’s just as true in a virtual world as it is on a runway.
What struck me most was how REBEL celebrated designers who had the courage to do things differently. It reminded me that there’s no single path in fashion, and that learning, evolving, and experimenting are all part of the process.
As someone who works closely with emerging designers and professionals navigating digital fashion, I left feeling inspired by how far the industry has come, and where it’s heading next.
If you’re interested in creativity, fashion history, or the future of design, I highly recommend seeking this one out, even retrospectively, it’s a valuable reminder of the power of being fearless.
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