Who he? Devilishly handsome, azure-eyed, 30-year-old British Central Saint Martins graduate, who worked alongside Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton before launching his first solo collection in London in the autumn of 2005.
What are his designs all about? Think clean, decisive tailoring with a feminine edge.
Example? A bright white tailored skirt suit, reminiscent of '80s designer Claude Montana in its severity, but with a soft, sheer blouse underneath bringing it up to date.
Why the buzz? Last year saw him win a clutch of awards, including the Fashion Forward sponsorship award (alongside Roksanda Ilincic and Jens Laugesen) for the second consecutive season, and Best Young Designer at the Elle Style Awards.
Anything else we should know? Stocked at more than 30 stores worldwide, including Browns Focus in London, he has also created a collection for Topshop (alongside the likes of Marios Schwab and Christopher Kane), which featured a beautiful peach skirt with flippy hem and sharply-tailored pleat-front trousers (both sold out almost immediately). In addition to the catwalk collection, Nicoll has produced a capsule collection of six white shirts to represent his signature-style of tailoring. The shoes from his latest collection, designed by Christian Louboutin, were notable (and coveted by the fashion press) for their low, chunky, segmented heel - a fresh take on footwear.
What about famous fans? Nicoll acolytes include Diane Kruger, Sofia Coppola, Christina Ricci and Chloe Sevigny.
He says: "I think people have faith in me because I've been around long enough for people to feel a stable force. I've had a steady rise, so there's a feeling of longevity there."
We say: He's such a fantastic addition to London Fashion Week we hope he doesn't desert us to show abroad for commercial reasons (like Alexander McQueen and Matthew Williamson). However we are sure it won't be long before this mega-watt talent is snapped up by a major design house to head up an established label (á la John Galliano at Dior).
UK stockists: Browns Focus, The Shop at Bluebird, Liberty, Start. For more information, visit richardnicoll.com
See pictures of Richard Nicoll's Autumn/Winter 2008/9 fashion show on handbag.com
Pictures: Top, looks from Richard Nicoll's Spring/Summer 2008 and Autumn/Winter 2008/9 fashion shows; above, clockwise from top: Richard Nicoll, trousers by Richard Nicoll for Topshop, Christian Louboutin for Richard Nicoll shoe, jacket by Richard Nicoll for Topshop.
