London designers get a helping hand in a tough industry

With its frayed denim outfits, Marques’Almeida is making a name for itself on the London fashion scene thanks to a sponsorship scheme that has helped half the designers showing here this season. Portuguese designers Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida have been winning rave reviews for their Nineties grunge-inspired collections since they started the label four years ago. This season they expanded their repertoire further with a show at the Tate Britain museum on the last day of London Fashion Week on Tuesday filled with brightly coloured, ribbed knits, and layered tops, skirts and trousers in floral prints. Since 2012 her label has benefited from support under the New Generation (NewGen) scheme, run by the British Fashion Council and high-street brand Topshop.