Meet the Talent of Tomorrow’s Class of 2026
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The Graduate Fashion Foundation champions emerging creatives through several inspiring initiatives, which include Graduate Fashion Week, The Fashion Accelerator Programme, The Young Talent of Tomorrow competition, as well as The Talent of Tomorrow scheme.
The Talent of Tomorrow photoshoot took place on April 18 in collaboration with Cold Magazine, which saw graduate designers create, style and photograph their collections in all their glory.
We spoke with a few creatives to share their personal stories; from their journey into fashion so far, the inspiration behind their collections, their career goals, and hope for the future of fashion.
Meet the Talent of Tomorrow’s Class of 2026…
Molly Jacob: “Weird but wonderful”
Career goal: Pattern maker
If you could change one thing about the industry: “I hope to see more working-class creatives being showcased, opening the doors to more equal opportunities.” Molly Jacob describes herself as a “working-class fashion design student” with a “deep appreciation for tailoring” and big dreams of becoming a pattern maker.
“ My collection ‘weird but wonderful’ is a message that, despite being labelled, and its negative meaning, we shouldn’t change who we are to please others or to fit in, but rather embrace and celebrate who we are. I have used my collection to reclaim the label of weird and give it a new positive meaning: being weird is wonderful.”
Molly’s love for fashion began as a teenager experimenting with style. Molly muses: “It started with retro influence, then moved to gothic elements, and now clean tailored shapes, interesting textures and layering.” This interest in fashion blossomed when the budding creative observed the kaleidoscope of unique designs on runway shows. Molly adds, “The abstract shapes and intricate detailing made me wonder ‘How on earth did they create this?’”
A few years on, and Molly has been selected for the Talent of Tomorrow photoshoot, which made her “jump for joy.” Speaking about the graduate collection, Molly shares: “My graduate collection is a celebration and exploration into the concept of being ‘weird but wonderful’.” Molly bravely continues: “Throughout my life, people have referred to me as ‘weird’, due to personality, so I researched personality theory and psychology to examine my characteristics.” Using this research, Molly focused on two specific personal traits, deep and strategic thinking, which she explored through the symbol of a popular board game. Molly explains: “I used the game of chess as my visual concept to represent these characteristics, focusing on the knight piece, which influenced the main experimental details that run throughout the collection.” At the core, Molly’s collection celebrates the wonderful uniqueness of individuality.
Ultimately, Molly hopes these designs will empower wearers to feel confident and embrace their “weirdness”, which is a powerful message we wholeheartedly support.
Jeffi Rebello: ‘Embracing the Now’
Career goal: Fashion designer
If you could change one thing about the industry: “I would like to see more representation of people of colour and minorities working in bigger fashion houses, and more designers raise awareness about the political and cultural issues.”
“I want my collection to feel like a warm hug of bright colours, joyful liberation, a fun rhythm where the silhouette allows for natural movement. I want my wearers to feel bold, celebrated, confident, proud of their heritage and unapologetically themselves in my garments; to believe their past, present and who they are now is worth expressing.”
Jeffi Rebello is a third-year student at Arts University Bournemouth, who aspires to be a fashion designer, and is proud to be selected for the Talent of Tomorrow showcase, which marks the “first step towards a career as a fashion designer.”
Like many, Jeffi wasn’t sure which career path to follow until Sixth Form. Jeffi openly shares: “I worked on a garment inspired by an art collective called ‘They Call Us Bewitched’, which highlighted political and environmental issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I researched how an artist can utilise materials to create a piece that tells an emotional story, which inspired me to do a fashion degree.”
Jeffi was born in Goa, and his South Indian heritage is the central inspiration for his final project, titled ‘Embracing the Now.’ Speaking about the collection, Jeffi says: “My collection ‘Embracing the Now’ takes inspiration from a Goan film called ‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’, which translates to ‘Let’s dance to the rhythm’. The film is set in 1960s Goa, after Portuguese colonialism ended, and inspired me to delve into 1960s fashion in Goa and London.” Yet Jeffi’s collection explores a personal layer too. “The concept is about myself learning and accepting my current life while paying attention to my past. As an individual who was born and raised in Goa, and then moved to London, I often felt embarrassed to talk about my culture. By remembering and accepting my past roots, I am embracing where I come from and where I am now”, shares Jeff. While Jeffi’s designs honour his personal experiences, and celebrates Goan history, culture, as well as fashion, it holds a deeper cultural message.
While Jeffi wants his designs to “celebrate cultural differences and empower individuals to express themselves through clothing”, he also hopes for systematic changes in the fashion industry. Asked about his dreams for the future of fashion, Jeffi shares: “I would like to see more representation of people of colour and minorities working in bigger fashion houses, more designers raising awareness about the political and cultural issues, as well as more conversations about inclusivity and identity, which can only happen if individuals from these minorities are given the opportunity they deserve.”
Aaysha Mehran: Sustainable denim in an apocalyptic world
Career goal: To have her own studio
If you could change one thing about the industry: “I would like fashion to be accessible for everyone. I love to see more opportunities for people in lower-class areas and more South Asian representation in the fashion industry, so young people can see their reflection.”
“The brief was to use only denim, so I made a world 100 years in the future, which is an apocalyptic wasteland where denim can no longer be made, due to a lack of materials, so you need to treasure every scrap you find. My jacket is made from little pieces of denim trousers and skirts, to protect wearers from the harsh elements.”
The Manchester Met student discovered their love of fashion in secondary school, studying textiles. Aaysha reflects: “I loved creating fabric, textiles and experimenting, from there I slowly started exploring designing and sewing.” Now, the aspiring artist and designer dreams of having her own studio to “experiment with clothing, textiles and art.”
Aaysha is “incredibly grateful” to be a part of the Talent of Tomorrow photoshoot. Sharing the inspiration behind the designs, the message behind Aaysha’s design is profound: “I wanted to explore the sustainability issue in the fashion industry and warn against where we are heading, but also come up with a creative solution to show there is hope we can overcome anything.” While designing is a creative outlet for Aaysha to express her thoughts and feelings, the budding designer hopes their creations empower wearers to feel “confident and comfortable.”
