Earlier this year, Aaron Esh took to the London Fashion Week runway for the second time in his career. The collection, made up of elevated autumn and winter staples for London’s elite, at first appeared as a direct exploration of the city’s mundane life, mirrored in a subdued color palette and architectural shapes. Yet, on closer inspection, it becomes clear that Paris in the 1950s was actually at its core.
According to the young British designer, “a lot of the fashion that I love references that era of Parisian couture.” She made this statement in an interview with FashionUnited. Rather than directly referencing that era, it was much more about examining the atmosphere and the way the clothes were constructed—that is, the materials, silhouettes, and other details. It was far more consistent with a broader marketing perspective that blended the concepts of urban and stylish.
“I don’t believe drawing inspiration from Paris in the 1950s is particularly novel. The focus was primarily on Aaron Esh’s brand identity and the origins of his clothing. Along with that comes an insight into the development of Esh’s relatively new namesake line, which was introduced following his 2022 MA in Fashion graduation at Central Saint Martins.
Esh has exploded into the fashion industry since then. The English capital-born designer, who won the British Fashion Council (BFC) NewGen award and was a finalist for the LVMH Prize, was well-known before he made his debut at London Fashion Week (LFW) for SS24. The latter gave him priority placement on the LFW itinerary as well as temporary assistance from the organization. This support persisted into the most recent season when Esh was given a stable foundation by the Sarabande Foundation, a nonprofit organization for up-and-coming artists established by the late Lee Alexander McQueen.
