Both graduates of Kingston University, Abdul Koroma and Andrew Jones met while working together at Max Mara in Italy. The idea for ‘Modernist’ came about after Andrews move to London, “we’d been taking about setting up together for about two or three years. We were both kind of fed up and I’d moved back away from Max Mara last year and moved to London and he [Abdul] was looking for a job and I was looking for a job so It just kind of happened.”

What “kind of happened” was a Spring/Summer 06 Womenswear collection that earned them a place as Fashion Fringe runners up in 2005 “…and that was it” Andrew declares. The collection provided the benchmark for the ‘Modernist’ style: Think concept-driven luxury with couture reworking and detailing. Last season, the duo were one of 14 designers selected to debut their Autumn/Winter 2006/07 collection at the ‘New Gen’ exhibition at London Fashion Week. This was the first time that they had received sponsorship from New Generation.

Andrew and Abdul, it appears, don’t argue very much, “we’re probably quite similar, we know what we like,” says Abdul. “We’re like two different bubbles with a big overlap. Basically no kind of idea is taboo, you’ve just got to try and convince the other one. It’ll be all right! Lets try it!” quips Andrew. “A lot of it comes from just laughing at each other basically. Something can sound quite ridiculous but then, it becomes quite refined and then you start seeing it differently.” So what sets ‘Modernist’ apart from the rest of the fashion pack?  “We work on our details as well, which is as important to us as the overall silhouette. Details and finishes, little things which will lift the product up above that level.” For their first on-schedule show they presented a strong collection of their trademark body conscious womenswear in a constrained colour palette of grey, black, cream, taupe and yellow.