Without Fashion East, Lulu Kennedy's talent incubator and designer-supporting tour-de-force, the London fashion industry would look hugely different. Founded in 2000, its bursaries and resources have helped give emerging designers a voice and a space to develop. Many of its alumni, including Kim Jones, Maximilian Davis, and Jonathan Anderson, have landed gigs at major Houses, including Dior, Ferragamo, and LOEWE, serving as a testament to the strength of Fashion East's mentorship.
Roksanda Ilincic, Richard Nicoll, Grace Wales Bonner, Jawara Alleyne, KNWLS, Robyn Lynch, Craig Green, Claire Barrow, Stefan Cooke, Ashley Williams, Ancuta Sarca, and Charles Jeffrey are just some of the designers Kennedy has welcomed into her fashion fold with the help of Raphaelle Moore, Fashion East's Head of Projects. With London Fashion Week around the corner, Kennedy is showing no signs of slowing down as Fashion East gears up for the SS25 season. We thought we'd take a moment to unpack all things Fashion East and its integral role in the UK fashion industry.
How did it all start?
Given Fashion East's string of designer successes, it's easy to think fashion has always been in Lulu Kennedy's blood. In the 1990s, while studying, Kennedy threw raves in Naples, where her fluency in English helped her book British DJs, including Princess Julia. These early bookings showed Kennedy’s strength as a communicator and undoubtedly played a part in her advocacy for emerging designers starting out in the fashion industry. This party spirit is alive and well at Fashion East, where its legendary backstage bashes keep the good times going long after the final look has been shown.
Returning to London in 1995, she hung around in east London's pubs and clubs, where she still connects with designers today (she met Maximillian Davis, Mowalola Ogunlesi, and ASAI on the dance floor of club night PDA, and Olly Shinder at a Chapter 10 rave). A chance meeting with the owner of the Truman Brewery at an art gallery led to a job hiring out the space for parties and fashion events. The space has housed Fashion East ever since.
What does Fashion East do?
When it comes to the next generation of Fashion East talent, Lulu Kennedy and a panel of industry experts assess the strength of each designer's application, looking for innovative designs and exciting new ways of working across the fashion landscape, from Fashion Week to retail and events.
As part of Fashion East, designers will be awarded a programme of support for up to three seasons, including showcasing at London Fashion Week. Recipients are also eligible for financial bursaries and expert mentoring, helping to nurture emerging design talent and further London's reputation as a designer fashion hotbed.
Building brands
Being a fashion designer is not easy, and it's not getting easier. Earlier this year, multi-brand retailer and e-commerce platform Matches Fashion went into administration and shuttered its retail operations, leaving many younger brands scrambling to reclaim stock and get back money owed to them. With e-commerce platforms being such an ingrained business model for independent brands and one that is increasingly difficult to sustain at large-scale retailers, building an independent label is pretty tough now, to say the least.
When it comes to launching your brand, building a direct-to-consumer business model holds more value than ever. Take current Fashion East designer Olly Shinder, who founded his namesake label in 2022 after graduating from Central Saint Martins. He showcased his debut SS24 collection as part of Kennedy's fashion incubator, winning over editors with his sexy takes on utilitarian workwear. These shows allowed Shinder to market himself to press and buyers globally, being scooped up by stores including Dover Street Market and MACHINE-A, where a curated selection of his products are available in-store and online.
In addition to boasting a number of international stockists, the brand sells limited runs of products via its website. A recent example includes the "BUDDELKISTE" T-shirts, which sold out online. These DTC sales are essential in strengthening a brand and developing multi-channel business operations that engage with a designer’s audience. Developing these skills with the help of Fashion East’s panel of industry experts allows brands to increase revenue and further develop a visual identity, shaping a brand experience from the runway to online shopping and website design, equipping designers to tackle industry challenges.
Navigating a shifting fashion industry
As if starting your own fashion label wasn't hard enough, brand sponsorships – a vital component for any emerging designer looking to show at London Fashion Week – are getting harder to secure. The challenges of throwing a fashion show, where even a modest one can cost between £10,000 and £50,000, coupled with "post-Brexit red tape and trading terms, and upcoming sustainability legislation," as was outlined by British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush to Vogue Business, means that the support of industry insiders can be invaluable when building your brand.
Having access to Fashion East's pool of industry experts and mentors can put designers in good stead when it comes to sustainably presenting collections. Take, for example, Martine Rose, who in 2014 presented a lone look for her SS15 offering at Fashion East. The decision, likely made with the advice of Kennedy, meant that the look received the same industry attention as a full collection and landed Rose's subculture-tinged sartorial experimentation on the radars of fashion insiders.
In its 24-year history, Fashion East has nurtured some of the strongest UK design talent, helping creatives navigate the constantly shifting challenges of the fashion industry. As the landscape continues to alter, Fashion East and its team of mentors and financial support are arguably more important now than ever. For SS25, the talent incubator will support Olly Shinder and Johanna Parv, who will show as part of London Fashion Week in September.
Cover Image: @_lulukennedy
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