By The ELLE LIST, in association with THEOUTNET.COM, which launches today, is a curated list of emerging talent from around the world, including actors, artists, musicians, athletes, activists, photographers, beauty heroes and hell-raisers of every kind.
This list marks ELLE’s commitment to using our platform to shout about a brave and brilliant NEW generation who are pushing the needle and changing the world to make it a better place.
From the founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana Burke, and her tireless campaigning to shift the conversation around sexual abuse, to young actor and environmental campaigner Sadie Sink, who rocketed to fame after joining the cast of Stranger Things, every person on The ELLE List has enormous talent, dazzling style, and is disrupting the status quo in 2018.
So how did we choose a list that ranges from rapper Stefflon Don to teen-activist and gun lobbyist Emma González?
With help…
ELLE asked for expert opinions from a panel of prestigious judges - Director of The Tate Maria Balshaw, Instagram's Eva Chen, fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu, the team at The Outnet, leader of the Women's Equality Party Sophie Walker, singer Jessie Ware, supermodel Alek Wek, and our very own editor-in-chief Anne-Marie Curtis - to help select the final 50 honourees of this inaugural ELLE List.
So here they are… It is time to celebrate them, and shine a light on them. They are the future.
Dougal MacArthur
Since winning the LVMH Prize in 2015, as one of Fashion East’s latest protégés, Matty Bovan has been cultivating his post-apocalyptic punk aesthetic from his garage in York. This season, for his first solo show, he mixed tailored tweeds with balloon headdresses.
Dougal MacArthur
After starring in God’s Own Country, Josh won the British Independent Film Award for 'Best Actor' in 2017 and was nominated for a BAFTA. Next year, he stars in BBC's new drama Les Misérables.
Petra Collins, Artist, Photographer, Director and Model, Toronto
Known for her ethereal and dreamlike sensibility, not only has Petra directed music videos for the likes of Selena Gomez and Cardi B, but she's also a resident photographer for Rookie magazine and was chosen to be the face of Gucci in 2016.
Yara Shahidi, Actress, Minneapolis
Known for her role in Black-ish, off the screen Yara has set up organisations Eighteenx18, a platform encouraging young people to vote, and Yara’s Club, an online mentoring programme. And with the help of a letter of recommendation from Michelle Obama, this year she secured a place at Harvard University.
Getty Images
Known for her portraits depicting black lives, Yiadom-Boakye was nominated for a Turner Prize in 2012, and has held solo exhibitions at the Serpentine Gallery and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, a show that was profiled by Zadie Smith for The New Yorker.
Dougal MacArthur
Winner of the Brits Critics’ Choice Award 2018, Jorja's sound has been compared to Rihanna, with her music attracting some very famous fans, including the likes of Drake, Stormzy and Dizzee Rascal.
Emma González, Gun Control Activist, Parkland, Florida
Emma is the powerfully articulate Marjory Stoneman Douglas senior who, following the mass shooting at her high school, where 17 were left dead, is urgently demanding more gun control under the "Never Again" campaign. With her fellow students, she helped organise the March For Our Lives protest, which approximately 800,000 people attended.
Fran Summers, Model, Yorkshire
Having captivated the industry, after making her runway debut at the SS18 shows, walking for everyone from Céline to Miu Miu, she has since starred in campaigns for Chloé, Prada and Marc Jacobs.
Letitia Wright, Actress, London
As the Disney princess with a science brain in this year’s biggest grossing film Black Panther, Letitia’s career has jumped from TV roles in Black Mirror to sci-fi heroes in Spielberg’s Ready Player One.
Conner Ives, Designer, London
Still a Central Saint Martins undergraduate, at 21-years-old Conner has already dressed Adwoa Aboah for the Met Gala and launched a capsule collection with Browns.
Charlotte Mensah, Hair Stylist, London
Having been at the forefront of the natural hair care movement since the early 2000s, Mensah is the three-time winner of Afro Hairdresser of the Year and the go-to for ‘fro woes – just ask clients Zadie Smith and Janelle Monáe.
Mabel McVey, Singer, Stockholm
Daughter of Nineties music icon Neneh Cherry, Mabel has music in her blood. Now, with single after single landing in the UK Top 10, and a Brits Critics’ Choice Award nomination on her CV, she’s making her own mark on the industry.
Dougal MacArthur
As the founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana was part of ‘The Silence Breakers’, a group that was named Time's Person of the Year 2017, for her work as a driving force to eradicate sexual abuse in a post-Weinstein world. She attended the 75th Golden Globe Awards with Michelle Williams for Time's Up.
Michael Halpern, Designer, New York
With a flamboyant and irresistible disco aesthetic of colour-popping sequins, Michael’s label Halpern is just two years old and has already achieved widespread success, with Donatella Versace and Beyoncé both firm fans.
Stefflon Don, Rapper, Birmingham/London
Having collaborated with the likes of Skepta and Future, Stefflon Don is the UK’s grime scene’s answer to Cardi B and is poised for world domination, with her songs Hurtin' Me and Bum Bum Tam Tam scaling the charts across Europe.
Rejina Pyo, Designer, London, UK
Making her London Fashion Week debut last September, Regina seduced the industry with her cool-girl pieces that have taken over every influencer's wardrobe.
Ellie Bamber, Actor, Surrey, UK
Having been picked for a starring role in Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, Ellie’s career started high in Hollywood. This year she stars in Disney’s The Nutcracker, followed by the BBC’s epic new drama Les Misérables.
Rina Sawayama, Singer, Niigata, Japan
Cambridge University educated Rina is the pop star for the digital age, fusing nostalgic R&B beats with relatable lyrics. Listen to Cyber Stockholm Syndrome for a taste of why she's being dubbed as one to watch.
Samira Wiley, Actor, Washington D.C.
Although best known for her role as Poussey in Orange Is The New Black, last year Samira was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role as Moira in the acclaimed TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale and has returned to the role for season two.
SZA, Singer, New Jersey
With Kendrick Lamar collaboration All The Stars on the Black Panther soundtrack and five Grammy nominations, SZA is bringing soul back into the charts.
Loyle Carner, Rapper, London
Bringing a fresh poetic sensibility to hip-hop, Loyle’s debut album, Yesterday’s Gone, was nominated for 2017’s Mercury Prize and also earned him two Brit Awards.
Adut Akech, Model, Australia/Kenya
After making her runway debut as an exclusive for Saint Laurent’s SS17 show, Adut is one of the industry's most sought after models, walking in every major show and landing campaigns for huge houses such as Moschino and Valentino.
Dougal MacArthur
Sadie rocketed to fame after joining the season-two cast of Stranger Things, as Max the skateboarding Pac-Man addict, and she has also starred alongside Helen Mirren on Broadway and Woody Harrelson in The Glass Castle.
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From Get Out to Black Panther, to Black Mirror, winner of the BAFTA Rising Star Award 2018 and Oscar nominee. Daniel Kaluuya has been in every must-watch film or TV show of the past year.
Dougal MacArthur
Sasha got her big break on Miami beach, when director Andrea Arnold spotted her and asked her to audition for the now critically acclaimed American Honey. This year she stars in Sundance Jury Prize winner The Miseducation Of Cameron Post alongside Chloë Moretz.
Liv Little, Founder of gal-dem, London
Confronting the lack of diversity in journalism and publishing head on with her platform gal-dem, Liv has been named one of the BBC’s 100 Women and number one BAME future leader of 2016/17.
Dougal MacArthur
Rupi has harnessed her 2.5 million Instagram following to reignite an interest in poetry, tackling themes of love, loss, violence, family and heritage. She's also published her works in two books, Milk And Honey and The Sun And Her Flowers, both of which have been New York Times bestsellers.
Holly Gore, Gurls Talk, London
Working alongside her best friend, Adwoa Aboah, Holly launched Gurls Talk as a platform for women to talk openly about mental health, sexuality and body confidence, plus they host one-day festivals where guests can attend talks and workshops.
BBZ, Club Night and DJ Collective, London
Creating a safe place for LGBTQ women of colour, Tia Simon-Campbell and Nadine Davis are the duo behind monthly exhibition and club night BBZ, catering to the needs of those that don’t fit into the binary nightlife scene in the UK.
Gemma Chan, Actress, London
Earning critical acclaim for her role in Channel 4’s Humans, she is this year's Hollywood breakout, with standout roles in Crazy Rich Asians and Mary Queen of Scots. In 2019, she'll make her Marvel debut, starring opposite Brie Larson in the female-fronted superhero film Captain Marvel.
Morgan Lake, Athlete, Reading
At only 20-years-old, Morgan has already broken multiple high jump records and, at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, became the first British woman to reach a high jump final since 1992.
Clara Amfo, Radio Presenter, London
Since taking over the mid-morning slot on BBC Radio 1 in 2015, Clara’s career has seen her present backstage at the Brit Awards and co-host Top of the Pops. She's also co-hosted Film 2017 and interviewed everyone from Lady Gaga to Spike Lee, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige.
Wilson Oryema, Artist and Model, London
When Wilson isn’t walking the runway for Margiela, he’s using his art to encourage us to confront society’s consumerism. As a follow-up to his exhibition of the same name, his latest book, Wait, is a collection of thoughtful poems and short stories addressing our wasteful culture.
Joyce NG, Photographer, Hong Kong
As a Central Saint Martins Fashion Communication graduate, photography was an unexpected career path for Joyce NG, but with an authentic yet unexpected style, her work is quickly catching the attention of the industry, having shot editorial for the likes of Dazed, Wonderland and 1 Granary.
Amika George, Founder of #FreePeriods, London
Meet 18-year-old Amika, the founder of #FreePeriods, who is campaigning for free menstrual products for schoolgirls from low-income families. With 1 in 10 girls in the UK unable to afford menstrual products, Amika's fight to end period poverty led to a protest of more than 2,000 people outside Downing Street last December.
Dolly Alderton, Writer, London
The Sunday Times best-selling author, dating columnist and podcast host of The High Low with Pandora Sykes, Dolly produced 2018’s must-read book Everything I Know About Love.
Ronan Farrow, Journalist, New York
This year, Ronan Farrow helped bring accusations of sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein to light. After his employer NBC refused to air his findings on Weinstein, he published an article in The New Yorker that reinforced allegations made in the original report, propelling the case into the wideser public consciousness.
Richard Quinn, Designer, London
A designer with the royal stamp of approval, the Queen sat front row at Richard’s AW18 show and presented him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design for his forward-thinking, innovative, designs.
Sinéad Burke, Fashion Activist, Dublin
This year's voice of fashion activism is Sinéad Burke, who is campaigning for greater inclusivity and practical design for people with disabilities. Her TED talk "Why design should include everyone" has been viewed over 1 million times and she was invited by the Obama administration to the White House for Design For All, an event focusing on fashion and disability.
Dougal MacArthur
Teddy encapsulates the phrase 'anything is possible'. After publicly revealing her transgender identity, she is now working towards destigmatising connotations surrounding transgender men and women.
Paloma Elsesser, Model, New York
Muse to both Pat McGrath and Fenty Beauty, model Paloma’s rise to stardom is a celebration of shifting beauty standards over the past few years.
Coco Capitán, Photographer and Artist, Seville and Cadiz, Spain
Coco’s signature scrawled handwriting, 'What are we going to do with all this future?' featured by Gucci’s Alessandro Michele in his Fall 2017 collection, is just one of many projects she’s worked on, having also produced editorial work for New York Times Magazine, Document Journal and brand Maison Martin Margiela.
Isamaya Ffrench, Make-up Artist, London
Tom Ford's International Creative Artist Isamaya has painted the faces of everyone from Rihanna to Kim Kardashian, while also lending her creative talents to editorial shoots for the likes of W Magazine and Love. Most recently, she founded Dazed Beauty with Jefferson Hack.
Fatima Zaman, UK Counter-Extremist, London
Since witnessing the 7/7 London bombings in 2005 aged 13, Fatima is campaigning to counter violent acts of extremism. Working with former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on project Extremely Together, she aims to tackle radicalisation on an international scale.
Duckie Thot, Model, Melbourne
Having walked shows for the likes of Fenty x Puma by Rihanna and appearing alongside Naomi Campbell in the 2018 Pirelli calendar, Duckie is one of the most striking new faces of fashion and beauty.
Telfar Clemens of Telfar, Designer, New York
The winner of the 2017 CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund, Telfar first established his brand in 2005, pioneering a gender-neutral fashion revolution that has spread across the industry.
Sidney Prawatyotin, Owner of "Siduations", New York/LA
With a following of just under 80k, Instagram account @Siduations inserts fashion moments into IRL scenarios. Followed by everyone in the industry, his posts during fashion month go viral within minutes.
Dougal MacArthur
The woman behind those tulle masterpieces worn by everyone from Rihanna to Björk, Molly is the Central Saint Martins alum designer remixing fantasy frocks for the feminist generation from her studio in London's Ladbroke Grove.
Amena Khan, Blogger, London
Muslim blogger Amena became the first woman wearing a hijab to feature in a major campaign for L'Oréal, making waves for diversity within the beauty industry and holding court with her 400,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Olya Kuryshchuk, Founder and Editor in Chief of 1 Granary, Kiev, Ukraine
Five years ago, Olya launched 1 Granary as a blog celebrating the work of Central Saint Martin's students. Now, after publishing its fifth print edition, Olya is at the helm of a network for emerging talent.
The inaugural celebration of The ELLE LIST 2018 was hosted on Monday 4th June at Spring, Somerset House. See what went down at the event here and enjoy an exclusive limited time offer from THEOUTNET.COM.
Motion graphics: Kelsey Freeman
