London Fashion Week
The British Fashion Council celebrates 50 emerging talents shaping fashion’s visual identity, cultural influence and creative future.
Fashion extends beyond the runway, shaped by the photographers, stylists, casting directors, beauty professionals and cultural voices who influence how the industry is seen and understood. Recognizing their impact, the British Fashion Council (BFC) has unveiled its 2026 NEW WAVE: Creatives, celebrating 50 emerging talents across the global fashion landscape.
Announced in London on October 21, the initiative spans disciplines including photography, styling, beauty, casting, art direction, production and cultural commentary. Designed to connect talent with opportunity, the platform allows users to explore profiles by discipline, country and year.
Celebrating Creative Voices
Laura Weir, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council, emphasized the importance of giving new voices room to grow, highlighting the behind-the-scenes talent and diverse creative disciplines that contribute to fashion’s cultural influence.
The 2026 cohort was selected through a peer-led process, beginning with nominations from the previous year’s recipients before an international industry panel determined the final group.
The panel brought together influential figures from fashion and culture, including photographer and filmmaker Aidan Zamiri, stylist Ib Kamara, fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, designer Simone Rocha, i-D Magazine Editor-in-Chief Steff Yotka, photographer Jordan Hemingway and choreographer Patricia Zhou. Designers Tolu Coker and Lovebirds duo Gursi Singh and Amrita Khanna were also among the panelists.
The 2026 NEW WAVE: Creatives
The selected talents represent a broad range of creative disciplines:
Beauty Commentators: August, Kicki Yang Zhang, Mei Pang.
Casting Directors: Lina Eldali, Lisa Dymph Megens.
Creative Directors: Bevan Agyemang, Jess Canje.
Cultural Commentators: Antonio Padilla, Biz Sherbert, Chani Ra, Shuang Bright.
Fashion Stylists: Chino Castilla, Milena Aggaba, Natasha Ribas, Seyon Amosu, Tess Herbert.
Florist: Julia Campbell Gillies.
Hair Stylists: Carlo Avena, Gabriel De Fries, Jadis Jolie, Louis Souvestre, Rebecca Chang, Vera Mai Ha.
Makeup Artists: Joe Brooks, Leana Ardeleanu, Ruben Masoliver, Thierry Do Nascimento, Tina Khatri, Valentina Li.
Nail Artists: Ema Maeda, Nikki Panic.
Photographers: Aleks Soroka, Ana Garcia, Ava Van Osdol, Ayaka Endo, Chessa Subbiondo, Elliot Hensford, Jebi Labembika, Julius Bohlin, Salomé Gomis-Trezise, Steve Ney, Tre Koch, Wendy Huynh, Will Bruce, Winter Vandenbrink.
Producers: Michelle Smith, Shay Johnson.
Sound Designer: Baby Cousland.
Together, these creatives represent the interconnected disciplines that shape fashion’s imagery, presentation and cultural relevance.
The Fashion Awards 2026
The NEW WAVE: Creatives cohort will be celebrated at The Fashion Awards on November 30, 2026, at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
A major platform for British fashion, The Fashion Awards recognizes the industry’s cultural influence and raises funds for the British Fashion Council Foundation. The 2026 event is supported by presenting partner Pandora and official partners Johnnie Walker and The Peninsula London.
Through NEW WAVE: Creatives, the BFC brings greater visibility to emerging professionals whose ideas and expertise help fashion evolve beyond the runway. By connecting new talent with industry opportunities, the initiative celebrates a creative community whose perspectives will help shape the industry’s next chapter.
About the British Fashion Council
Founded in 1983, the British Fashion Council is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to supporting, defending and promoting British fashion globally. Through platforms including London Fashion Week and The Fashion Awards, it supports designers and businesses while strengthening the industry’s international visibility and cultural influence.
Established in 2019, the BFC Foundation (Registered Charity Number: 11852152) supports creatives from education through to global business growth through its Prizes and Programmes. The Fashion Awards raises funds for the Foundation, helping sustain the UK’s creative pipeline and strengthen British fashion’s contribution to the global cultural landscape.
