"I've been in Hong Kong quite a lot recently, so it's a great chance to see the Izzue cool over here in London."
Cool and innovative Izzue may be, but behind the scenes two hours pre-show in the lobby of the Me London hotel, I.T's chief commercial officer, Deborah Cheng, is a combination of pride and anxiety-almost like an expectant mother. "It's like I'm going into labor," half-jokes Cheng. "And you don't know whether it's going to be a boy or a girl, or maybe even twins! We spent so much time and effort to get the show on schedule for today. I really hope you guys like it."
What's not to like? Izzue, set up in 1999, has been on one continuous and experimental mission to pursue design innovation, brand collaborations and projects that pre-empt future trends, along with nurturing design talent by supporting the work of students through top-tier establishments such as Tsinghua University in Beijing and Central Saint Martins (CSM) in London.
Izzue's investment in London's creative scene marks the launch of its capsule collaboration with two CSM students, who were chosen following a design competition, alongside the activewear brand Phvlo and overseen by the school's MA fashion design course director, Fabio Peras. As well as being on the runway, the designs form part of a ten-piece portfolio currently selling in Selfridges.
In keeping with the I.T-owned brand's "Live it Real" mantra, the show gets underway at exactly 2 pm, parading Izzue's key items (or #izzueessentials) of striped tees, sweatshirts, trench coats, down puffers, bikers and shirts/blazers. The looks and theme reflect the difficulties of living in the now-questioning what drives feelings of insecurity or displacement in today's youth, and how they can best equip themselves to combat such emotions.
