From artists acquired by London’s Tate Museum to some of the youngest restaurateurs.
You never know when—or where—inspiration might strike. Take fashion designer Michelle Adepoju. The London native had no early ambitions of launching a luxury brand—then she travelled to West Africa after college. Born and raised in a Nigerian household in the U.K., Adepoju, 29, grew up with a knack for restitching thrift store finds into unique pieces. Her hobby transformed into a business idea during her post-college trip when she imagined a fashion brand that merged contemporary designs with traditional African craftsmanship.
Back in London, she founded her brand Kílẹ̀ńtàr in 2019 and now works with more than 40 artisans across the African continent to help handcraft her luxury line’s statement womenswear pieces. Her line ranges from gowns to swimwear to jewelry. Famous clients include Tracee Ellis Ross, Naomi Osaka and Victoria Monét. “Kílẹ̀ńtàr is so important for me because when we think of luxury, we often think of the Chanels or the Hermès’,” says Adepoju. “We’re changing that narrative and putting African craftsmanship on the map for luxury fashion.”
Adepoju is among 30 other young tastemakers on this year’s 2025 30 Under 30 Europe Art & Culture list. Candidates were evaluated by a panel of judges at the top of their respective fields, including Italian fashion designer Stella Jean; Squish Beauty cofounder and Under 30 Europe 2021 alum Charli Howard; art adviser and appraiser Chiara Badinella; and Trip cofounder Olivia Ferdi, whose CBD-infused drink brand made the Under 30 list in 2022. To be considered this year, all nominees must have been 29 or younger as of April 9, 2025.
Several of this year’s honorees are building businesses by leaning into their respective heritages. Joey Attieh, 28, became one of Barcelona’s youngest restaurateurs founding Albé, which melds Lebanese cuisine with Spanish flavors and received high praise from critics. Riding that success, Attieh founded his next restaurant Âme—which made the Michelin Guide just three months after opening. Another chef on the list, Wenjun Xiang, 27, took the rich flavors from her Chinese hometown with her after moving to the U.K. as a teenager. Xiang launched her first dumpling venture at 17 years old, selling handmade frozen dumplings online to London’s Chinese expat community. She now runs a small chain of restaurants in London dedicated to Northern Chinese cuisine and sells more than 1 million dumplings a year.
Xiang isn’t the only one who started her career as a teenager. A self-taught artist and photographer, David Uzochukwu, 26, began their career at 15 years old. One year later, they exhibited a series of self-portraits at the Bozar fine arts center in Brussels and also photographed singer FKA twigs for a Nike campaign. Uzochukwu now frequently creates custom campaigns for notable names including Pharrell and Iris van Herpen, and has worked with institutions such as the Saatchi Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of Modern Art Mexico City.
Meanwhile, artist Rene Matić, 27, who works with photography, sculpture and film to create pieces about Black and queer communities, has been featured in collections ranging from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, New York’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, and even singer Charli XCX’s private collection. In 2023, Matić became one of the youngest artists to ever whose work has been acquired by London’s Tate gallery. “It’s something that you don’t really think about happening so early on in your career,” Matić says on being acquired by the Tate. “It’s definitely propelled me into feeling comfortable in my position in the art world.”
Other listers are looking to expand outside of the continent. Joseph Quinn, 29, founded his hand-blended tea company Tea Huggers in 2019. Having earned $6.4 million in revenue last year, his products are now stocked in stores throughout the U.K. and Europe including Selfridges, Fenwicks, and Ocado—with plans to expand into more than 4,000 stores across the U.S. and Japan later this year. In the fashion world, Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, 28, has taken her eponymous womenswear brand to several high-end fashion retailers including Bergdorf Goodman, Ssense and Moda Operandi. And clothing company Nii Hai, founded by Rosie Williams, 28, is stocked in global retailers including Revolve and Slam Jam, and has been worn by celebrities such as Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa and Blackpink.
Bringing some innovation to the design sector, Destiny Pinto, 23, launched a self-named accessories label for medical devices, which include covers for ostomy bags, hearing aids, and prosthetic legs. Her latest campaign partnering with Adidas will be displayed in London stores and online. “I have moments every single day with my work, where people connect to me and tell me their stories,” Pinto says. “And those are the things that resonate with me the most because it inspires me to keep going and it shows me how important this work is.”
This year’s list was edited by Simone Melvin, Brianne Garrett and Hannah Lynn. For a link to our complete 2025 Under 30 Europe Art & Culture list, click here, and for full 2025 30 Under 30 Europe coverage, click here.