Rahemur Rahman was just an east London teenager when he joined a council youth arts programme which set him on a path as an up-and-coming fashion designer.
Now 12 years on, he has put his first menswear collection on public show at the London Fashion Week, with his inspiration from the vibrant Brick Lane.
Models appeared to pose for a family snapshot, giving the audience time to appreciate the knits and prints, rather than being whizzed along the catwalk.
“My first presentation was a lightening experience,” he said. “Fashion is usually exclusively for buyers, but we opened it up for the public so they could be close up. I wanted people to examine the fabrics and learn about textiles.”
Rahemur joined Tower Hamlets Council’s ‘A’ Team Arts classes and workshops in 2007. He achieved a Gold Arts award after just two years, preparing him for the prestigious Central St Martin’s fashion college.
His studio is his tiny living room in north London, being unable to afford the property prices in the East End where he grew up. His parents are still in the Isle of Dogs and he makes regular trips back.
“My inspiration is Brick Lane,” he reveals. “I blend Asian and western cultures.”
But he acknowledges he’s “too new” for the established big fashion stores just yet. Rahemur, now 27, is getting orders from around the world through skype and the internet.
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