Top Image: Photography Harry Carr

Italian brand, Iceberg, has announced London-based menswear designer James Long as the new creative director for their menswear line. Long’s debut will be FW16, happening at Milan Fashion Week in January 2016 – while also continuing to design for his own line.

In 2007, Long graduated from the Royal College of Art’s prestigious MA course and entered the menswear scene as part of London Fashion Week’s MAN show. Like many other of London’s standout designers – including the likes of JW Anderson, Katie Eary and Astrid Andersen – he has since benefitted from the NEWGEN (and MAN) sponsorships: Long was actually NEWGEN’s first recipient.

He’s also received funding from the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Forward scheme (launched in 2006), which sponsors established designers who have already benefitted massively from the NEWGEN initiative. They recognised the talent; as have the likes of fashion influencers like Luke Day, Tim Blanks and Lucas Ossendrijver, who have all given Long their approval.

In Long’s collections, traditional knitwear-patterns and denim are subverted with distinct, idiosyncratic patterns and constructions. Iceberg’s image is congruent with this, known also for their bold motifs and knitwear – aspects that Long will no doubt elevate.

Long formulates modernisations of the atypical like nobody else, a vision that’s evidently driven with the soul and energy London’s fashion landscape is known for. It will be interesting to see where he takes this at Iceberg – take note.