The British Fashion Council’s just appointed Sarah Mower its first ever Ambassador for Emerging Talent.

You already know Sarah from her stories in Vogue and her brilliant Style.com show reviews. And now she’ll play an even bigger role in shaping the face of up and coming talent - so much of which comes out of London.

She’ll be in charge of the NewGen committee, the Topshop-sponsored council that provides financial support (and often show space) to the young designers and recent grads showing the most promise. Think Marios Schwab, Chris Kane, and Danielle Scutt.

Sarah said, “In Britain we have a phenomenon on our hands at the moment: a uniquely
vibrant, varied and collaborative flowering of talent that is some of the most exciting on
the world stage.”

So all that power basically makes her the cooler, hipper Anna, right?

If you remember when we mentioned that Gareth Pugh would be designing his own doll during Fashion Week, here’s the rest of the details about Barbie’s debut:

On April 8th, Dover Street Market in London will open up a space curated by Henry Holland to display the goods ready for sale in honor of Barbie’s big 5-0. And while reports first named Gareth Pugh as her stylist, it looks like he’ll be sticking exclusively to Barbie’s boy-toy, who’ll escort Barbie to the event.

While Henry Holland will be handling most of the Barbie-themed space, designers Danielle Scutt and Roksanda Illincic will team up to design her attire. So for those of you who were looking forward to your decked out Pugh doll, looks like you might have to settle for Ken instead. Or if you’re a real fanatic, you could always get one each of the happy couple and play fantasy wedding.

—CARSON GRIFFITH

That recession thing everyone was obsessing over during New York Fashion Week? Well, in London, they have no idea what you’re talking about.

From our first show, Ashish - which featured a raging live performance, acrobats and gift bags packed full of makeup - to the last, there wasn’t even the slightest sign of an economic downturn. Champagne and food flowed, beer, wine and liquor, too; coffee in the mornings, water, Vitamin water, and Godiva chocolates everywhere you turned.

Gift bags popped up at almost every show - two at some like Roksanda and PPQ - totes packed with cosmetics, hair products, magazines, t-shirts and Barbies. And it felt like every single designer had an after party - including magazine and store parties, there must have been at least seven events a night.

And the photo pits, which we noticed were considerably smaller in New York this season, were huge. Not just at shows like Vivienne Westwood, but at Charles Anastase and Krystof Srozyna, too.

More importantly, no one even talked about it. Except for us of course, desperately running around asking everyone both British and American why it felt different on this side of the Atlantic. No one had an answer.

So we’ll leave it up to Paris - let the French have the final say in just how much the industry’s letting its inner turmoil reflect in its public face while we recover from London’s rollicking week-long party.

The picture at left is from Danielle Scutt’s Fall 09 collection.

No really, it’s not a model wearing her Ricky’s Halloween costume from last year.

Because would a designer as awesome as Danielle Scutt really send that down her runway? Especially when she’s showing a teen-tiny collection during extremely tough economic times?

Well, yeah. Apparently.

She also showed printed spandex bodysuits covered in zippers, unzipped to show strips of flesh here and there. There were lace up pants, cut-out flames on coat lapels and a sheer top underneath a torso corset with rhinestones splashed across the breasts.

A couple of the dresses, including a textured t-shirt shift and the fifth one when you click through, we really loved. Otherwise, it would’ve been nice to caffeine-load instead.

Fifteen days to LOVE!

We know you knew that, but here’s something more: The magazine launches in the UK on February 19th, London Fashion Week Eve, and will be handed out throughout the week at all of Mandi Lennard’s shows. Mandi’s the PR guru behind House of Holland, Gareth Pugh, Roksanda Ilincic, Eley Kishimoto, Danielle Scutt, formerly POP, TopMan and almost every other thing you want to be part of while in London.

This means that when we get off the red eye on the morning of the 20th and head to the Topshop venue, wherever it may be, we’ll be rejuvenated with delicious treats and the first ever copy of Katie’s new mag, and no one will be left to wonder why London Fashion Week is the most fun of all.

The British Fashion Council just announced this season’s recipients of their New Gen award.

Topshop, the sponsor behind the award, will back twenty-four up and coming designers with space in the London Fashion Week tents throughout the week. The tents stand on the grounds of the Natural History Museum next to the main runway venue and get serious foot traffic from editors and buyers killing time in between shows.

Eight of the winning designers, including Henry Holland, Danielle Scutt, Louise Goldin, Meadham Kirchhoff and Peter Pilotto, will also get sponsorship for their runway shows. Which means, most importantly, a free venue. Last season’s Topshop space (an underground garage), was home to Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, delicious food and an atmosphere more suited to partying than working.

Which we’re sure that bunch’ll be fine with.

The lucky British few whose Fall collections will be financially supported are out:

Louise Goldin, Danielle Scutt, Meadham Kirchhoff, House of Holland and Peter Pilotto, with Nasir Mazhar, maker of major headgear, winning events sponsorship.

The recognition (and £5,000 - £10,000 for about three seasons straight) is a pretty big deal - previous winners who were previously unknown include Matthew Williamson, Christopher Kane, Alexander McQueen, Giles Deacon, Sophia Kokosalaki, and Marios Schwab.

And those receiving exhibition sponsorship at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington this September include David David, Felder Felder, Hannah Marshall, Nicolas Kirkwood - and Poltock and Walsh.

We’re especially happy to see Poltock and Walsh on there again, and since Topshop sponsors the NewGen initiative, we’re just going to keep on hoping that their Topshop rumor is just a few months from totally reality…

Confession:

We’re shocked to see so much animal print on the runway.

We’re stunned when Oscar de la Renta does it; we’re thrown when Marc Jacobs has it; and when it occasionally pops up at Chanel, our jaws hit the floor.

It’s not that animal print doesn’t have it’s place - it’s just that we’ve always assumed that place was Vegas.

So yesterday, when London’s hot-young-thing Danielle Scutt showed dress after dress etched in zebra lines, we were like, “Really?”

Then we realized, sometimes leopard spots can look really chic on a cardigan; stripes might be cute on ballet flats; and if you do it the right way, you could rock a tiger-marked coat like an Audrey Hepburn character.

Or like Cruella DeVille, which is what makes us worried.

Would you wear animal print? And how?

Please, advise.

TopShop and the New Generation initiative just announced their fall Fashion Week picks, and here are the kids whose shows will be funded:

Christopher Kane (Versace consultant and Carine darling…)
Danielle Scutt (our new favorite eccentric, at left…)
Duro Olowu (a Nigerian print fanatic with magical silk dresses…)
Erdem (who won the Fashion Fringe award a year ago…)
Gareth Pugh (our favorite mad scientist…)
Louise Golden (a knitwear guru who claimed her last collection was influenced by Burkas…)
Marios Schwab (who won the British Fashion Award last year…)
Todd Lynn (a rock band costumer, and the only menswear designer on the bill…)

The awards alleviate the financial pressure of showing this fall, but they also bring new stress:

If you’ve been dubbed The Next Big Thing by all of Britain, you’d think every stitch was sewing your fate.

Of course, the real mark of a New Gen designer hitting it big is when their sponsor, TopShop, starts ripping off their catwalk collection… or have we forgotten their brief romance with rave t-shirts?