From Beijing to BFC Newgen: Meet Oscar Ouyang

With roots in Beijing and a design philosophy shaped in London, emerging talent Oscar Ouyang’s contemporary pieces will transform how you perceive chunky old school knitwear. This month, the 2024 Central Saint Martins graduate was named part of the British Fashion Council’s (BFC) prestigious Newgen cohort, an accolade that signals a major leap for any emerging designer, offering as it does financial support, mentorship, and a global platform. Alongside other 2025/26 recipients such as Aaron Esh, Charlie Constantinou, and Tolu Coker, Ouyang will be given a slot at the next London Fashion Week, which will be showcased in September 2025. Slowly garnering a global fanbase from the East to West, Ouyang’s intricately knit collections often draw from Studio Ghibli nostalgia, anti-establishment histories, and Southeast Asian motifs. Already stocked at influential retailers like Dover Street Market London and H Lorenzo in Los Angeles, Ouyang’s gender-fluid, folklore-infused silhouettes offer a refreshing counterpoint to minimalism, while subtly channeling diasporic identity and East-meets-West storytelling. As China’s fashion community keeps a close eye on talents bridging cultural aesthetics and global ambition, Jing Daily sat down with Ouyang to unpack what the BFC’s recognition means for his practice, and how China is inspiring his creative luxury world. Jing Daily: Does being born in Beijing influence your approach to fashion design? Oscar Ouyang: Growing up in Beijing, anime is definitely one of things that has had a clear influence on my design style, specifically a lot of the anime style action/battle scenes, which also ties in within the huge military influence on my work. The military influence is definitely evident in a lot of shape and detail throughout the whole range of pieces within my brand. JD: How would you describe your current consumer? OO: Our consumer is definitely someone who approaches their style in quite a playful, yet high-end way. Someone who loves maximalism, but with a touch of luxury. We sell to a consumer who also enjoys wearing nice textures. JD: What would your dream brand collaboration be? OO: A dream collaboration would be with a footwear brand, or headphone/speaker brand. JD: Where have you found inspiration this year? OO: Most of my inspiration comes from fine art and photography. I am also looking into a lot of different eras of military wear, as well as just finding lots of inspiration through materiality. JD: In what ways do you see the BFC Newgen platform influencing your label? OO: With the BFC Newgen platform now providing the brand with access to fashion shows, we really want to push ourselves towards a more in-person experience. JD: Do you have plans to sell in China outside of Labelhood? OO: Absolutely. We will be looking to expand in China, and even further. The Chinese market is fundamental to the brand, not only in the sense of brand heritage, but in terms of diversifying the consumer range. It will really allow us to continue pushing more bold and maximally-designed pieces that simply wouldn’t be as sought-after in the West. JD: How did selling at Dover Street, H Lorenzo and Labelhood boost your knowledge of retail? OO: Working with such established and diverse retailers as these has been vital to the development of the brand. It has definitely taught us a lot about the way in which you need to consider such a diverse range of clients. It has also been very eye-opening towards our design process. Sometimes, in design, it can be very easy to make these wonderfully over-the-top and creative designs, but ultimately, all of that is wasted if the customers just can’t connect with what you’ve made. JD: What’s your favorite city in China and why? OO: Definitely Beijing. I have too many childhood memories there. JD: Has life outside of Central Saint Martins (CSM) been as intense as fashion school? OO: Life after CSM has definitely been just as harsh, but not in the ways you would typically expect. While CSM life absolutely prepares you for the reality of the industry, in ways such as workload and deadlines and battling creative burnout. There are also so many areas that it doesn’t teach, like organizing finances, planning so far ahead, managing teams … There are just so many things that can’t be taught at school, and learning them in the real-world can be a bit of a harsh reality. JD: What key brand codes do you want to keep forever in your journey as a label? OO: Military, nature, animation, and craftsmanship.

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From Beijing to BFC Newgen: Meet Oscar Ouyang