Fashion East’s Spring 2027 Designers Turn Research Into Experimental Dress

Fashion East’s second-season designers Jacek Gleba, Goyagoma by Traicelene Pratt and Louis Mayhew were joined by newcomer Mé Mé, a recent Central Saint Martin’s graduate. Together, they pursued experimental processes they had not previously tried.

The presentation took place at Manor Place, a collaborative sports hub and creative event space by Nike and Palace. The show opened with blown-up photographs by Mayhew, showing models in cut-up and reconstructed polo shirts accessorized with charity-shop costume jewelry. Mayhew said the work emerged naturally from his research rather than from a plan to create an exhibition.

The designers’ collections followed with playful interpretations of soft tailoring, using layers of tulle, delicate lace cutouts and colorful embroidery. WWD’s overview of Fashion East’s mixed-gender shows provides additional context on the London platform.

Mé Mé, whose experience includes work at McQueen and Maison Margiela, combined tailoring and knits to create the illusion of paper. The garments suggested material that could be scrunched and folded into new forms, bringing a tactile idea into structured clothing.

Bahamian designer Traicelene Pratt moved away from his usual “obsessive” pattern making and focused instead on embroidery and embellishment. Drawing from his heritage, Pratt created a black sheer maxi dress with detailed needlework and a thick polo shirt covered in pearl sequins resembling broken ocean shells.

Gleba worked across lace, sequins and denim. Lace structured cutout patterns, while sequins covered pants. He worked with Spanish eco-friendly denim textile company Jeanologia on sustainable denim washing, creating cutout jean jackets and fitted jorts with intricate top-stitching.

Mayhew’s contribution began with photographs of models wearing cut-up and reconstructed polo shirts and charity-shop costume jewelry. He did not initially plan to produce an exhibition, saying the presentation emerged as he guided himself through research.