Meadham Kirchhoff
Club21

THIS eponymous label is a combination of the two founding designers' names - Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff. Meadham is English and Kirchhoff is from Sete in the South of France.

They met at Central Saint Martins - Meadham studied womenswear and Kirchhoff, menswear - and have worked together since 2002. In fact, even before Meadham Kirchhoff pieces were properly hung up at Club21's store, you may have seen them at TopShop, as they've done two collections for the high street brand.

Romantic edgy has been a trademark look, and for the upcoming autumn/winter season, florals and animal prints have been mixed, along with textures like fake fur, beading, chiffon, boiled knits and tinsel. The woman the designers have in mind when they're designing is part-Courtney Love, part-Miss Havisham, part-Blanche Dubois - with an element of obsession and craziness about her.

Going along with the old world feel and organic inspiration, the designers make a point of using handicraft, and won't touch laser cutting or use digital printing at all.

Rodarte
Club21

This is a 'rags' to recognition story. According to New York Fashion's website, sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy came from Pasadena, California, to New York in the spring of 2005 with nothing more than a few dresses and coats stuffed in their suitcase. Today, their clients include Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Keira Knightley, Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Obama and Chloe Sevigny.

They named the collection after their mother's maiden name, and made a point to show it to almost every major fashion editor and upscale retail buyer. Tenacity got them through the door, but talent keeps them on the runway. The Mulleavys are known to labour over every detail of their romantic, detailed dresses. The 'Critics' Favourite', they use soft chiffon and intricate hand-stitching as well as other old-world techniques. Still a relatively new label, Rodarte has bagged several industry awards and gained respect among peers.

Carven
Tribeca

Generously sized women may not know this label, but it should be an instant hit with the majority of Asian shoppers here, since Carven is known to be aimed at petite women. It was founded in 1945 by Carmen de Tommaso, whose design milestones included removing bra straps (thus designing half-cups) and using ethnic fabrics brought back from her many journeys around the world. At its height, Carven also had a haute couture line for a very select clientele.

The label has been under its present owners for four to five years now, and the artistic direction is set by designer Guillaume Henry, whose illustrious CV includes fashion houses like Givenchy and Paule Ka. Having mastered Carven's history and its DNA in just a year, Guillaume Henry now opens a new chapter based on chic, femininity and simplicity.

Prouenza Schouler
Club21

This label was also started by a pair of designers who met at school - this time, at New York's Parson's School of Design. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez co-designed a senior year show that took the fancy of the Barneys' buyer, which bought the entire collection. Proenza Schouler is an amalgam of their mothers' respective maiden names, and the line is known for its skilful tailoring and moody colours. Proenza Schouler designs are typically for the young, skinny and pouty - if their latest ad campaign is any indication.

Sharon Wauchob
Inhabit

Sharon Wauchob has been described as 'one of those designers who flies under the radar of most big editors but who gets plenty of respect from top retailers'. Iriah-born Wauchob is a 1993 Central St Martins graduate, worked with designer Koji Tatsuno for four years and moved to Paris in 1997, working with Louis Vuitton on textile development and accessories.

Wauchob launched her own label in 1998 and had her first show. It's no wonder then that her designs have an affinity to unusual material and fabrics. Her clothes are also characterised by much wrapping, folding, and gathering, as well as elaborate pleating and stitching techniques. Taking fabric out of context, features of her clothing include experimentation with color and use of light and tone.