Rule Britannia

London has always been the home of all that is edgy and cool in fashion - it's the city that gave us punk, miniskirts and, more recently, talented young designers, such as Mary Katrantzou, Christopher Kane and Peter Pilotto.

And, while womenswear has always dominated the British capital's fashion scene, the past year has seen the arrival of several designers who are offering a cool, new proposition on menswear.

"Menswear is now a much bigger business," says Dylan Jones, editor of British GQ and chairman of the British Fashion Council's menswear committee. "Plus, we have always had a wealth of creative talent, and these days it's being harnessed with good business sense. Britain has the best young menswear designers in the world, and they all know that in order to become successful on their own terms they need to build brands."

It was only a matter of time before the country's menswear talents came into the spotlight. In addition to sponsorship schemes, such as NewGen Men (by TopMan) and Fashion Forward (by eBay), last year the British Fashion Council announced the introduction of the London men's collections that have now become a highlight on the international fashion calendar. Its second season wrapped up in January with an exciting line-up of 60 designers, including emerging names and established brands such as Tom Ford, Paul Smith, Burberry Prorsum and Alexander McQueen.

Indeed, the British have always been known for their unique take on fashion, which can best be summed up as a cool combination of tradition and innovation. As such, many menswear designers are inspired in part by their heritage (think traditional Savile Row tailoring) and pop culture.