20 London Fashion Insiders You Should Know

Image via Complex Original

Occupation: Model; Sales, HIdeout

Nugget, also known as Gabriel Pluckrose, is a skater in the street fashion scene in London. The model is a muse to many of London's fashion creatives, which has landed him on the pages of Arena Homme and the lookbooks of Supreme.

Occupation: Photographer

Most of the insiders on this list have worked with Neil Bedford, so if these Londoners are asking him take their photographs and shoot their lookbooks means you need to know who he is. He's especially a menswear favorite and works often with The Green Soccer Journal and Inventory. His list of clients is extensive, and you've likely seen an editorial shot by him already.

Occupation: Designer, Claire Barrow

Claire Barrow's custom leathers and punk-rock aesthetic got her noticed right out of design school, and edgier magazines such as i-D and celebs like Rihanna count themselves as fans. We can't wait to see what the designer with DIY-mentality does this year.

Occupation: Designer and Co-Founder, Casely-Hayford

Charlie's great personal style got him a few gigs in the beginning of his career, but the luxury sportswear from his brand Casely-Hayford (co-founded with his father, Joe) is what makes him a real star in the fashion world. The line represents London menswear through and through, from the Savile Row tailoring to its adventurous use of color and prints. Check out previous collections along with Charlie's street style and you'll know why he's so popular in London town.

Occupation: Journalist and Correspondent, VICE

Journalist-turned-correspondent Charlet Duboc pitched an idea of traveling to lesser-known fashion weeks around the world to Vice and luckily for us, the adventurous media giant picked it up. Her series, Fashion Week Internationale, is the most fascinating web series on style we've ever seen. Duboc isn't afraid to dive into other cultures like South Korea and Nigeria and uncover customs that seem shocking to outsiders. Catch season one and two on VICE, and cross your fingers for a third with her as the host.

Occupation: Co-Founder, Ella Dror PR

Ella Dror was still young in the game when she and her friend decided to start a PR agency of their own. But now with almost 20 clients under her belt, she's a trusted name many young creatives want to work with. Her and her agency are all about nurturing new designers and brands, and we bet that many of her more obscure clients will sound familiar very soon.

Occupation: Photographer, Filmmaker

Tyrone Lebon's raw images give a unique life to high-end clothing and pretty models. It's easy to see the London-influence in his work—he has a real good understanding of the streets and the runway and combines both worlds effortlessly into his editorials. Industry veterans have noticed, and Lebon is quickly becoming every fashion magazine's go-to photog.

Occupation: Designer, Astrid Andersen

Astrid Andersen's got her ears and eyes on hip-hop's next trends. Her designs aren't for the average guy, but are getting noticed by our editors and stylish celebs like A$AP Rocky. We wrote about her this time last year, but she's only going to get bigger. If you're a risk taker when it comes to fabric, color, and proportion, we recommend looking into Andersen's collection of sweatsuits, separates, and more.

Occupation: Senior Fashion Editor, Dazed & Confused; Contributor, Vogue Homme Japan, V Magazine, and VMan

Being Senior Fashion Editor at Dazed and Confused magazine is like being annointed the king of youth culture and new fashion in London. Your favorite rapper wears Raf Simons' designs? Well Robbie Spencer styles Raf's ad campaigns. You up on other fashion magazines like VMan, Vogue Nippon, and AnOther Man? Yeah, he also styles for them. Next time you see a runway show you like, check the credits, because Spencer's probably behind that, too.

Occupation: Designer, Fred Perry, Rohan, 6876

This is the guy all menswear dudes should know, but don't. Here's why you should be a fan: He has a great sense of silhouettes when it comes to men's clothing, but also has a real curiosity with technical fabrics. Basically, he just gets it, and this has led him to design for Rohan, adidas, Fred Perry, and his own brand 6876.

Occupation: Co Owner, Slam City Skates; Partner, Palace Skateboards

Gareth, formerly of Pointer Footwear, is one of the owners of Slam City Skates (which happens to be the oldest skate shop in Europe, no big deal). What makes Gareth so special is the fact that he's kept up with the pulse in skate culture for so long, since before Slam City opened in 1986 to now, where he's a partner of the coolest UK skate brand out, Palace. He knows what young dudes like, and is most likely the influencer to your London influencer.

Occupation: Designer, Shaun Samson

The usual suspects are rapping about Raf Simons, Margiela, and Rick Owens now, but keep your ear out for Shaun Samson's name in verses to come. Just like Astrid Andersen, we named him one to watch last year. And in just these past few months, the California-bred London resident's creations were worn by high-profile tastemakers Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, so you know he's bound to get even more attention. The Central St. Martins grad's inspiration from skate culture resonates with younger fashion insiders, which means you're bound to recognize his signature oversized sportswear by next year.

Occupation: Owner, Hideout

Michael Kopelman is a streetwear legend. He's responsible for bringing Stussy to the UK and is an OG Tribe member. Hear him tell it, and Shawn Stussy's the reason why he's even in the industry. His store, Hideout, first opened in '98 to sell the coolest Japanese Brands to Londoners, with bits of UK and US-based collabos mixed-in. Is that not what hypebeasts still drool over these days?

Occupation: Co-Founder and Creative Director, Trapstar

Trapstar is the only UK streetwear brand you need to know right now, and Mikey is in charge of the whole operation. He knows what's going on in the streets, he's at every notable party, and is friends with emerging talent in London. MTV's The Wrap-Up (the UK franchise's urban destination) asked him to be a host, and the youth who listen to hip-hop look to dress like him and his crew. The crewnecks, tees, beanies, and snapbacks seen on the likes of A$AP Rocky aren't intended for females, but that doesn't make the gear male-exclusive—the two biggest celebrity co-signers happen to be Rihanna and Rita Ora.

Occupation: Designer, Aitor Throup, Umbro, Dover Street Market; Filmmaker; Sculptor

Aitor Throup's hype has been buzzing well before he presented his first full namesake collection at London Collections: Men last month. The design genius who knows his way around high-performing sportswear has designed for some of the coolest UK brands such as Stone Island and Umbro. Not enough reason to know him? Buenos Aires-born Throup is also a sculptor, and both his art and capsule collection had an installation at Dover Street Market. And if the team at Comme des Garcons think he's awesome? You better get familiar.

Occupation: Brand Expert and Consultant, adidas Originals

Here's what you don't know about Gary Aspden: He was instrumental in defining the collaborative culture that has fueled street and sneaker culture in the past decade (think Peter Saville, Kazuki Kuraishi, A Bathing Ape, and Ian Brown). How? By working behind-the-scenes at adidas to help shape the Originals program. He's got old school Northern chops too—moonlighting as a DJ and kicking it with musical friends like the Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses.

Occupation: Co-Founder, Present London

Prendergast is one of the founders and owners of menswear shop, Present. His great taste is reflected in the brands the shop carries, which include American favorites like Filson and Woolrich Woolen Mills, up and coming streetwear brands like BWGH and Palace, and English standbys like Trickers shoes and Nigel Cabourn. If you're serious about menswear, you need to get familiar with both the Shoreditch shop and the guy behind it. He and business partner Steve Davies also founded The Duffer of St. George, a popular menswear line they have since sold.

Occupation: Co-Founder and Designer, Bunney and British Remains; Product Consultant, Various

Doc Martens and London go hand-in-hand. The boots are so ingrained in London youth culture, that you know it's a big deal when the brand asked Andrew Bunney to be the Creative Director of it all. After Bunney helped relaunch Dr. Martens, he left to continue buying for some of London's coolest stores, Gimme5 and Hideout. Now, he spends his time designing for his own brands, Bunney (a jewelry line) and British Remains (a menswear brand). If he sounds like an expert at everything, it's because he is.

Occupation: Founder, WAH Nails; Marketing Manager, Nike Energy; Stylist; Trend Consultant

WAH Nails is where all the cool girls in London get their fly manicures, and Sharmadean Reid happens to be the HBIC. When she's not overseeing her salons and pop-up shops, she's styling and consulting the likes of Nike, Ray Ban, Levi's, and Reebok. When industry insiders need to know who's next, they ask Shar. Why? Because she knows everyone in London, including photographer Tyrone Lebon. Look out for their collaborative documentaries to hit stateside soon.

Occupation: Owner, A Number of Names; Co-Founder, Jacket Required

Craig Ford is responsible for bringing classic streetwear brands like A Bathing Ape and BBC/Ice Cream to London. He's also the co-founder of Jacket Required—a tradeshow that prides itself for pushing a diverse range and many categories of men's clothing (while still being discerning, of course). Starting your own brand or need to know how to hit it big with UK consumers? You might want to read up on Ford.