To “support diversity and inclusivity at a grass roots level”, Mr Porter has just revealed the recipients of its Futures Design and Mentorship Programme for 2022.​ The three new whiz-kid designers, in partnership with Klarna – which donated a £10,000 award to each – are all championing sustainability. The hand-selected brands include Manaaki by Kat Tua, Miles Leon by Ryan Edmonds and Julian Canda and Saif Ud Deen. Manaaki is a menswear label with a vintage feel that’s inspired by Tua’s Māori heritage; the 27-piece collection features hand-drawn prints, sports-inflected jersey and an unconventional approach to denim. Meanwhile, Miles Leon takes inspiration from the natural world and the garden especially; made up of 15 streamlined pieces blending workwear with sartorial splendor and an emphasis on the importance of duality and natural materials. Last, but certainly not least, the 12-piece collection by Saif Ud Deen explores the relationship between Islamic faith and fashion within an urban environment.

From over 1,000 entries from 77 different countries, these candidates were chosen, anonymously judged by a panel of industry professionals that included Mr Porter buying director Sam Kershaw and styling director Olie Arnold, designer Reese Cooper, stylist and creative director Julie Ragolia, Beams and Co director Tatsuo Hino, designer Nicholas Daley and business and leadership coach for creative founders Judith Tolley.

The prized collections dropped early last month after the recipients spent over one year immersed in Mr Porter Futures’ design and business mentorship programme. The course included workshops in brand, marketing, product range, cash flow and intellectual property as well as practical training to bring their visions to fruition. Direct experience in factories and sessions with sustainability consultancy Create Sustain also provided the cohorts an understanding of the intricacies of exploring how to take a collection from a simple series of sketches to a whole range of comprehensive garments.

Promising a two-season commitment to each designer, Mr Porter met the costs of production, sampling and shipping for the development of the collections and upon the launch, has been providing each designer or design duo with 50 percent of the net profits from sales, with continued support from the luxury retailer’s team.

SAIF UD DEEN

Can you talk us through your collection for Mr Porter?

“This Mr Porter collection is an autobiography of sorts. Titled, In Other Words, it’s a culmination of my own experiences as a third generation Pakistani Muslim, born and raised in Manchester. With that in mind, this collection explores how faith and fashion intertwine with the urban environment – as both an expression of individuality and of belonging.

“What I’ve created is a high-specification collection that sits at the intersection of luxury and contemporary street fashion. It blurs the lines of traditional Islamic attire by mixing it with contemporary silhouettes that are functional and technically engineered. Every garment has hidden features that serve a purpose.

“I’m a real fan of functional clothing; I just think it’s the way my brain is programmed. I look at clothes as a way to make life easier for the wearer, whilst still trying to ensure that it maintains a certain level of elegance, style and design consideration.”

These collection launches are the culmination of over one year’s design and business mentorship programme – which has included a course of workshops in brand, marketing, product range, cash flow and intellectual property. How was your experience working with Mr Porter all the way through and what would you say is the greatest lesson you’ve learned?

“The experience has been amazing; life-changing to say the least. As you mentioned with workshops in brand, marketing, product range, cash flow and intellectual property, it’s been a very well rounded and comprehensive introduction into the industry – I say introduction as I don’t believe you ever stop learning in this industry – but this has been an incredible start.

“The Futures Programme has given me a great insight into the sometimes-overlooked areas of fashion. For someone like myself who came into it straight out of university, areas like cash flow, intellectual property and marketing are not really covered in much detail, but for someone who wants to start their own brand, they’re essential. Especially the cashflow side of things, as without that you wouldn’t have a business.

“I’ve learnt so many valuable lessons over this past year, from building relationships with mills and factories and forming supply chains, to understanding the importance of commerciality as well as the business side of fashion – which is a whole other minefield in itself. There have been so many important lessons that I can’t pick just one but I know they will all benefit me for a long time to come.

“From all these lessons I have gained so much confidence. Confidence in my work and ability as a designer and confidence in my ability to communicate my ideas to other people.”

How has the Mr Porter Futures Design and Mentorship Programme provided a platform for you to hone and perfect your craft going forward? What are your plans post-collection launch?

“I feel that fashion is a very closed industry and Mr Porter has given me an avenue into it. They have helped me refine my design and allowed me to tell my story on an international platform for which I’m immensely grateful.

“Beyond this collection, I aim to continue the conversation I’ve started, and further develop the themes and ideas within it. This is just the first step of a long and captivating journey; a journey which along the way will bring you a unique take on contemporary fashion through the lenses of faith, culture and street style.”

KAT TUA – MANAAKI

Can you talk us through your collection for Mr Porter?

“My collection is tied to my Māori heritage.  I reference the art, storytelling and practices of my culture through print design; camp collar shirts are painted with art depicting stories from Māori myths and legends and the knitwear depicts traditional weaving patterns. Links to my heritage will be present in all of my ranges, but my overarching theme for my SS23 collection, Past, Present, Future, is inspired by social movements that took place in New Zealand in the 1970s – as well as Bob Marley’s visit to New Zealand in 1979, a concert that unified many cultures through music. As a result, the collection has retro 70s references, a laid-back casual feel and is very wearable.”

These collection launches are the culmination of over one year’s design and business mentorship programme – which included a course of workshops in brand, marketing, product range, cash flow and intellectual property. How was your experience working with Mr Porter all the way through and what would you say is the greatest lesson you’ve learned?

“The experience was amazing! Everyone was so friendly, welcoming and accepting which was refreshing as you don’t always get that in the fashion industry! My biggest lesson is a culmination of everything I’ve learned. It has all led to an immense amount of personal growth – I feel much more confident about having my own brand now, I believe in my design ability a lot more and now have a much clearer path to proceed forward in this industry.”

How has the Mr Porter Futures Design and Mentorship Programme provided a platform for you to hone and perfect your craft going forward? What are your plans post-collection launch?

“All the doors are open for me now – it would have taken years for me to get in front of some of these people on my own. I am often astounded how many amazing people have seen my work and the opportunities I now have. It feels surreal. My plans going forward are to continue to make collections and try to create a base in New Zealand, to try to get some manufacturing brought back home and continue to grow Manaaki, progressively, as the years go on.”

RYAN EDMONDS AND JULAIN CANDA – MILES LEON

Can you talk us through your collection for Mr Porter?

“This collection, as well as the brand as a whole, is rooted in the physical and metaphorical elements of the garden. We acknowledge the garden as a metaphor for our individual selves. The blending of workwear with a sartorial presence emphasizes the importance of duality in the collection, with clothing that lives with us in the everyday moments of life. With an emphasis on natural materials, we utilized European craft in combination with beautiful and considered fabrics such as organic cottons and recycled wools for this collection, creating pieces with a sense of ease and understated elegance. We elevated functional menswear staples such as the cable knit sweater and single-pleat trouser with a color palette of self-addressing neutrals and deliberate accents of bold color.”

These collection launches are the culmination of over one year’s design and business mentorship programme – which has included a course of workshops in brand, marketing, product range, cash flow and intellectual property. How was your experience working with Mr Porter all the way through and what would you say is the greatest lesson you’ve learned?

“Our experience over the last year was extremely challenging at times with both of us holding down full-time jobs while participating in the program. Being in a different time zone was difficult as well, but now that we have been working like this for a year we have acclimated. And the information gained from the workshops was ample. We were able to directly apply the lessons taken from each workshop to our brand, with the biggest lesson learned being to accept help from others and to apply this with our own intuition.”

How has the Mr Porter Futures Design and Mentorship Programme provided a platform for you to hone and perfect your craft going forward? What are your plans post-collection launch?

“Mr Porter Futures has provided for us an environment of rich and nurturing soil needed for growth. From the program we were able to learn a lot about working and communicating with European mills and factories, how to build a healthy product range and other important bits needed to run a successful business. Acting like an incubator, we gained information and contacts that would normally only be gained after years of working in the industry. The program also allowed us to understand our strengths and weaknesses. As a duo we compliment each other’s abilities and help cover where the other lacks. Utilizing the space provided over the last year, we were able to find our niche in the business and practice our new skills while receiving help from mentors. However, an area we are excited to get back to is internal development, as this is a vital part of our design process.

“We are currently in the process of sampling and fitting our second collection for Spring/Summer 2023, which is set to launch on Mr Porter next April. In addition, we are working on our third collection and are set to take it to market next year.”

Photography courtesy of Mr Porter.

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