Walpole unveils 2025 ‘Brands of Tomorrow’

Fresh off success at London Fashion Week, British luxury brand E.L.V. Denim, dedicated to handcrafting timeless fashion pieces from 100 percent upcycled materials, has been named as one of the 12 ‘Brands of Tomorrow’ for 2025 by industry body Walpole, which represents the British luxury sector.

The annual ‘Brands of Tomorrow’ initiative, now in its 18th year, is a unique mentoring programme, which takes 12 carefully selected early-stage brands through a year-long programme of workshops and mentoring to help develop their business skills and set them on "a path to growth".

The 2025 cohort will see E.L.V. Denim participate alongside other fashion and beauty names, including British knitwear brand Genevieve Sweeney, which embraces craftsmanship and sustainability, menswear label Original Fibres, launched in 2018 by Callum McCall and George Rutherford-Jones as a fabric-first brand designed to meet the growing demand for higher quality, lower impact clothing, and Smock London, an artisan fashion brand on a mission to modernise the art of smocking for the 21st century.

Fashion brands E.L.V. Denim, Genevieve Sweeney and Original Fibres named as Walpole ‘Brands of Tomorrow’

Other names include Curate Your Style, an international personal styling company based in the heart of London’s Mayfair, handcrafted jewellery brand Cece Jewellery, fine jewellery brand MJ Jones, British printmaker and textile designer Molly Mahon, and Teresa Tarmey, a sought-after skincare and laser expert dubbed the ‘super facialist’ by Vogue.

Rounding off the 12 brands are the non-alcoholic aperitif Mother Root, the sustainable candle brand Pott Candles, and Alice Wilkes Design, an event and wedding design studio.

The ‘Brands of Tomorrow’ mentoring initiative is Walpole’s flagship development programme designed to support the success and growth of the British luxury industry “by passing on skills, experience and practical knowledge to ensure the continued dynamism and prosperity of the sector”.

This year’s programme is currently chaired by Balthazar Fabricius, founder of Fitzdares and ‘Brands of Tomorrow’ alumnus 2007, and will see each brand receiving mentoring from some of the UK’s most experienced luxury executives, including Michael Ward, managing director of Harrods, Iain Robertson, chief operating and innovation officer at Fortnum & Mason, and entrepreneur and investor Justin Stead.

Walpole also added that the 2025 cohorts were each chosen as a “reflection of evolving consumer trends in the high-end market, highlighting emerging expectations and behaviours,” as well as its continued commitment to sustainability, which is “deeply embedded” in each brand’s ethos, with many in the group championing heritage craftsmanship.

“By preserving traditional skills and passing them down to the next generation of artisans and suppliers, these brands are not only honouring their craft but also ensuring its future in the luxury industry,” added Walpole in a statement.

Helen Brocklebank, chief executive at Walpole, said: "We are delighted to welcome this outstanding selection of businesses to ‘Brands of Tomorrow’; each embodying the essence of modern luxury through craftsmanship, innovation, exceptional experiences, and sustainability.

“They all have a deep appreciation for originality and quality – the hallmarks of the British luxury sector. Together, these brands represent the future of luxury, where heritage meets forward-thinking design, and where excellence, authenticity, and responsibility drive the sector forward."

Not-for-profit organisation Walpole is the sector body for the British luxury industry and speaks on behalf of more than 250 of Britain’s finest brands, including Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason. According to Walpole, the British luxury industry is worth 81 billion pounds to the UK economy, supports more than 450,000 jobs and contributes 3.7 percent of the UK’s GDP.

The ‘Brands of Tomorrow’ programme has previously included fashion brand Emilia Wickstead, watchmaker Bremont, and resort brand Orlebar Brown.