New Kids On The Block

For too long, the fashion industry has been caught up in a high-stakes game of chess, with creative directors shifting from house to house in a dizzying cycle. Although debatably entertaining, the constant change at the helm of major fashion houses has left many feeling disillusioned, questioning whether these moves are driven by creativity or corporate strategy. As we step into a new year, perhaps it’s time to turn our attention from the dazzling lights of the major houses to fresh voices and emerging brands that are wanting to build something from the ground up in new ways untethered by “how it’s been done in the past”.

Freddy Coomes and Matt Empringham are a London-based design duo who have spent the last five years cultivating a collaborative approach that began with a shared university project during their time at Central Saint Martins. Catching the attention of the fashion industry not traditionally through the CSM BA graduate show whereby a selection of the fashion design students are able to showcase their works, but instead via Freddy Coome's instagram and the subsequent celebrity stylist commissions, leading to their works featuring on the likes of Emma Corrin and Sienna Miller. Their university collections posed a consistent question of what the clothes actually are. Playing with their dimensions and perspectives, creating garments appearing as 2D images, as if for a paper doll, scarfs veering off at sharp right angles, appearing to be blown in the wind and coats with the illusions of hands in pockets. Central to their process is a tactile connection to materials, with fabric, colour, and texture shaping each piece. The material being their first port of call instead of the design themselves, the pair embrace the possibilities and limitations of their unique fabrics choices. For the 2024 pre-Met Gala dinner Sienna Miller wore a forest green mini dress adorned with a giant floral detailing, appearing to be made of a suede, but the pair opted for a synthetic textile used inside sports cars instead.

Fast forward to this January 2025 the pair have officially soft launched their joint venture named ALETTA, wanting to leave their school days behind them and look to building something that marries their surrealist flare with contemporary wearability whilst celebrating their British routes. The pair kicked off the launch with a 10 piece collection for Dover Street Market transforming the familiar polo shirt into structured silk polo dresses in a variation of stripes and colours. Photographed by Matt himself, styled on female models, some previously featured in their university fitting images and feel more like muses than mannequins. The brand further teased their debut AW25 collection featuring simplified denim pieces (at least appearing that way!) alongside their more playful creations and oversized geometric accessories.

While the brand is still in its infancy, it’s looking like ALETTA is on a trajectory to become a very buzzed about player in the fashion landscape. Their commitment to innovation, making and being true to themselves within their practice means they’ll launch collections and pieces in their own way, own time. With their debut collection already garnering praise from industry insiders and celebrities alike, and further new brands appearing on the AW25 schedule, perhaps we have reached the start of a new cycle, sparking the renaissance of London’s creative fashion landscape.