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By Christian Rose-Day 

Chaps, listen up and listen up good. The information that is about to be imparted to you is to be learnt and learnt well. It will prove invaluable at every social gathering you find yourself at this year. The following names will aid you in blagging your way through a conversation about style because these are the hot properties in men’s fashion for 2010.

Although he’s been ‘on the scene’ for a couple of years, 29-year-old former Royal College of Art graduate, AitorThroup, is a definite name to drop in 2010. His modern, scientific approach has earned him a nomination for the Design Museum’s Design of the Year Award (for his reworking of Massimo Osti’s famous Goggle Jacket). Solicited by Topman, Stone Island, and the V&A Museum, Long has seen his greatest success with footballing giants, Umbro, where he has been tailoring the England away shirt using ergonomic techniques. His own retrospective collection will debut at the Paris menswear week this month.

The boundary-pushing, militarily-obsessed James Long is a master of knits, leathers, suede and sheepskin and has been hailed by French fashion house Lanvin as a one to watch. He is one of the first designers to stage a show as part of the New Gen Man – the British Fashion Council’s new menswear support initiative – during London Fashion Week. For 2010, think sculptured urban guerrilla vibe in greens, golds and camouflage, forming trench coats, patchwork tops, sleeveless biker jackets, and even a utility harness.

Christopher Raeburn – another graduate from the Royal College – is a functional designer for the modern thinking man due to his eco fashion ethos: high-end, elegant yet innovative outerwear manufactured from de-commissioned army surplus fabrics, hot-air balloons and uniforms pilfered from Virgin Airlines. It’s no surprise, therefore, that Raeburn won the Innovation Award from the Ethical Fashion Forum as well as sponsorship from NEWGEN. We’ll be looking forward to his show at February’s London Fashion Week.

Now, if you find yourself in a ‘ladies fashion’ situ that needs your input, try throwing these hot names out there to see what comes back:

Holly Fulton – the Brit who nabbed the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award for Accessories at the British Fashion Awards as well as the Young Designer of the Year at the 2009 Scottish Fashion Awards.

Iris Van Herpen – the Dutch woman who has previously worked under Alexander McQueen and has recently signed with Harrods following a storming show at the London Fashion Week.

ManjitDeu – winner of the London College of Fashion Collection of the Year Award 2009; a fave with young pop divas, Little Boots and Robyn.

Lu Flux – cute, quirky designer who is similar to Christopher Raeburn with her recycled and eco friendly one-offs.

Finally, you might need to chat around the topic of models who will be courting the adulation of the paparazzi this year, and the general rule of thumb for 2010 is “it’s all relative”. This means, nearly every model to make it big this year will almost certainly be a descendant of someone already famous, and will usually have a ridiculous name.

The daughters of Annie Lennox (Talia and Lola), Sting and TrudieStyler(Coco Sumner), Phil Collins (Lily), Paul Weller (Leah), Simon and Yasmin Le Bon (Amber), and Isabella Rossellini (EllettraWiedemann) will all be getting papped and catwalked. As will Ernest Hemingway’s great-granddaughter, Dree and Jethro Cave, son of Aussie filth-rocker, Nick Cave.

Now that you have all the answers, chaps, go forth and concur.