Hordes of the fashionably inclined descended on East London's Protein Studios during London Fashion Week to attend the biannual Fashion Scout “Ones to Watch” (OTW) runway show. The creative consultancy and ideas incubators twice yearly show provides a platform for a carefully curated selection of emerging global designers to showcase their nascent talent and increase their visibility. Those previously selected as “ones to watch" have included current on-schedule favourites Maximilian Raynor , Phoebe English and Tolu Coker whose show this season was attended by King Charles.

The seven designers who comprised the A/W 26 cohort were Invisible Boundaries , Mad Daisy, Aleksa Vertige , Khushi Kumar , Astha Garg, Min-Ji Kim and Adolf Maldonado. All deserve huge credit for taking advantage of the creative canvas provided by Fashion Scout and enthralling us with incredibly accomplished creations whose mastery belied their relative infancy in the industry.

One of that A/W 26 cadre , who while showing off-schedule was very much on our radar , was the Spanish designer Adolf Maldonado. Having graduated last year from London Metropolitan University with First Class Honours in Fashion Design we were excited to see his collection “Arthropoda” and if anything it exceeded our already high expectations. Drawing inspiration from the insect world , the designer's vision revealed itself in structural silhouettes and geometrically gorgeous constructions made with an array of ethically sourced premium materials that were imbued with tactility and texture.

Avesso caught up with Adolf the morning after the show and asked him about “Anthropoda” , the support and platform provided by Fashion Scout , and the vision and values which underpin his practice.

1/ What was the inspiration for the pieces we saw on the OTW runway?

Arthropoda collection was inspired by microscopical images of insects , their texture, colours and shapes , and also from the architecture as my pieces are quite big and architectural like buildings.

All the work is not on the surface but the stitching and the techniques I used for the materials to move or flow a certain way. It was a very complex trial and error process but I guess to create seamless clean shapes and lines there's a lot of work to be done but that’s what I love most when I’m creating.

2/ What was the catalyst for you wanting to become a designer?

I have been surrounded by fashion all my life. My mother was a dressmaker , she used to do wedding dresses amongst other things and I was always watching her doing the patterns and helping her. Also, I would steal my sister's Barbies and create the same dresses I would see my Mom do or the ones in Vogue and do them on a smaller scale. So, I don't know, since I can remember it's always been something within me that's known this is what I'm meant to be doing.

3/ Who are the designers who have influenced you ?

I usually don’t look at other designers for influence or inspiration as I think that is their vision and I would be “stealing” their creativity or identity. I usually look more at shapes or things like animals or plants, abstract things or objects and their history, deconstruct it and turn it into fashion.

But, if I need to name some designers , I would say Cristobal Balenciaga for his couturier skills , the way he revolutionised and inspired many great designers and how he was creating his own textiles to achieve the amazing pieces he constructed. And Demma for being so disruptive and daring when it comes to fashion.The research of materials behind his work is crazy,

I guess I love not only the creation of beautiful garments but where the materials come from and the history behind it.

4/ Can you tell us about the textiles and techniques you used to make the pieces in your collection?

I’ve used Mongolian goat hair, Mongolian shearling, fine-hardened leather , silk organza and wool amongst others.

All my materials are organic and environment friendly. I use by-products so all of the furs and leathers are from the meat industry which means instead of disposing of the skins from the food we eat, we treat them and give it a life. I’m a huge environmentalist and I think all fast fashion and faux fur and plastic leathers are so bad not only for the animals but for us humans and the planet itself. They contaminate so much , and are not durable and are non-biodegradable.

For techniques , there is lots and lots of tailoring in all of my pieces. I only do made-to-measure clothing but yeah there are some very technical experiments with thinning leather and hardening it so it maintains big shapes whilst being light. Lots of hidden stitching and horsehair canvas underneath the clothes to achieve smooth lines and other hand sewing things that can only be achieved if done by hand.

5/ How valuable has it been being part of the Fashion Scout Ones to Watch programme and what was involved in the selection process ?

Fashion Scout and OTW have been incredible from beginning to end , the professionalism and the help organising everything have been spot on , but not only that , the exposure and the opportunity to be showcasing my collection as a 2025 graduate in London Fashion Week has been incredible and is a massive push on to the world.

With the selection process, I knew I wanted to show the collection so I applied when the spots were open for February and honestly did not think I was going to be selected but I’m a big believer of you never know if you never try so I tried, they like me and here we are.

6/ Having shown during London Fashion Week what are your plans and ambitions for the rest of 2026?

Right now I want to be introduced to the fashion industry and obviously dress big artists and showcase my work. Already I’m developing Spring/Summer and hopefully I get some good representation in the upcoming months and you will see more of me at LFW later on this year. Also , I’m all about couture so I would love to have a menswear show if not this year, 2027 , but that’s the goal.

With “Anthropoda” Adolf Maldonado made a bravura entrance into our collective fashion consciousness. It was a collection where the vision and its application were aligned in a cohesive canvas that referenced the natural world and adhered to intentional, environmentally ethical practices. A collection where the cut and construction achieved that synthesis point where the avant garde meets modern couture and becomes all the better for it. A maturation of ideas and techniques which suggest that Adolf Maldonado has already found a fashion language of his own.

Fashion Scout is an integral part of London's fashion ecosystem and the “Ones to Watch” initiative has provided the launchpad for an impressive number of participating designers who have gone on to become globally recognised names. Fashion and the fashion industry is far from an exact science however we look forward to watching what Adolf Maldonado brings us next and wouldn’t be surprised if he progresses to join the ranks of those “OTW” alumni.

All images courtesy of I.DEA PR

One to Watch - Adolf Maldonado

Avesso Magazine