Wes Gordon
Why We Need To Know Now: Another example of a designer R29 readers may have heard of before (we have fallen harder for Southern-gentleman Wes after each of his six collections), but in 2012, the world began to fall along with us. Starting off by winning Fashion Group International's Rising Star Award, Gordon was nominated for the most visible of young designer awards — the Vogue Fashion Fund prize. Though he didn't win, the attention gave him some serious red-carpet cred, with Rita Ora as his muse at the finalist soirée, and girl-of-the-moment Ashley Greene (mid-Twilight junket, no less) as his date to the awards.
In Five Words: Whimsical offerings created for today.

Photos: Courtesy of BPCM