On Wednesday 3rd July, the first cohort of fashion brands and designers graduated from our Evo Fashion programme, delivered in partnership with Evo Learning, at a special industry showcase at The Conduit.

‘I want to say a big congratulations to our Evo designers—the first cohort to attend our Evo Fashion business programme—who are showcasing their outstanding products, garments, and accessories in the room tonight,’ says Helen Lax, Director of Fashion of District, onstage at the Manufacturing Futures 2024 Awards Supper. ‘The programme was designed to help businesses become more robust, focusing on all aspects of their operations, including finance, production, distribution, and product.’

Looking around the room at The Conduit, where mannequins draped in beautiful prints boldly catch the eye and rails displaying everything from chunky knitwear, summer dresses, and streetwear, to fun accessories, inclusive underwear, and luxury leather shoes are being perused by attendees, one can’t help but admire the wealth of talent showcased by the Evo Fashion designers. It’s not hard to feel optimistic about the future of the fashion industry with brands like these emerging. 

Delivered in partnership with Evo Learning, a training subsidiary of The Trampery, as part of London & Partners’ Early Stage Grow Programme funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Evo Fashion delivers an experiential programme for emerging brands that takes a holistic approach to business strategy, helping them drive growth while also integrating sustainability into every aspect of their businesses.

Designed to fit in with work commitments and delivered by experts, the programme consisted of a two-day intensive launchpad and four full-day masterclasses which focused on different aspects of learning, including environmental and social governance, exploring new business models, production and innovation, sustainable growth and investment, finance and business planning, and founder wellbeing, leadership and impactful teams. Peppered in amongst the sessions and masterclasses, there were panels and talks, tailored 1-2-1 mentoring, three peer-to-peer learning workshops, a creative photoshoot, and tonight’s presentation at Fashion District’s Manufacturing Futures 2024 Awards Supper to a room full of investors, brands, startups and innovators.

Selected by a stellar judging panel including Vanessa Podmore, Founder of Podmore Consulting; Yvie Hutton, Director of Design Relations and Membership at the British Fashion Council; Charles Armstrong, CEO of The Trampery, and Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District, our 15 participants were chosen based on their potential for business success and their commitment to integrating sustainability into their ventures. 

The first Evo Fashion cohort included: Anciela, Asmuss, BEEN London, Clara Chu, Colèchi, Everyday Phenomenal, Fashion Meets Music, Isla de Gar, Kyle Ho, Mirla Beane, NEW STANDARD, OMNISS, Percy Langley, Pomi and Seeds, and ZERØ London. 

Speaking with Tukiya Mutupa, Founder of Pomi and Seeds, about the programme, she says, ‘I found the course really educational and practical. There aren’t a lot of programmes that help sustainability-focused fashion brands. This is the only one I’ve seen that’s fashion focused. I’ve been on learning programmes before that focused on wider business perspective development, but Evo Fashion was so comprehensive. We covered everything from manufacturing, materials, and product, to hearing from industry leaders and receiving tailored feedback in 1-2-1 sessions. It was amazing.’ 

Emma Garner, Founder of Isla De Gar, echoed this sentiment. ‘It’s been so valuable,’ she tells me. ‘I’ve been growing my brand organically, but I haven’t put any systems in place and that’s what this course has enabled me to realise. I come from a design background and started out as a designer and maker, so I didn’t really have any kind of goals or plans – I was just obsessed with bags! When I heard about Evo Fashion and its focus on business growth, finance, and sustainability, I realised it was the perfect fit for me. I liked that the programme offered tailored guidance with personalised 1-2-1 sessions and I found the marketing and financing days so useful. Those areas aren’t my forte, but I’ve now realised those are the things I need to hone in on.’

‘What we loved about the Evo Fashion programme was how holistic the content was,’ says Lizzy Lambie, Co-Founder of Fashion Meets Music. ‘There was a lot about personal wellbeing, and for us as a brand that’s really important. Hearing from bigger brands, for example Primark, was also useful. It’s interesting to hear from different kinds of brands and how they’re implementing sustainability into their businesses. We may be SMEs, but it all trickles down to us at the end of the day.’ 

Clara Chu, multidisciplinary artist and designer, says the course provided her with numerous insights. ‘We discussed the vision for our brands in Vanessa Podmore’s sustainability session, and I came away pondering how to make truly impactful change. After Stuart Balmer’s finance and investment session, I thought about how to keep my business afloat without going bankrupt. Emily Bingley’s marketing and communications session made me consider how to effectively communicate my brand’s message to the public. The course was well-rounded, bringing together various perspectives. Now, it’s time to follow their advice and take the next steps.’

We can’t wait to follow these fifteen brands’ journeys. Stay tuned to hear about Evo Fashion’s second cohort soon!

All images: Christian Sinibaldi

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Fashion District announced the winner and runner-ups of Manufacturing Futures 2024 at an Awards Evening hosted in The Conduit’s Ubuntu Lounge.

Fashion District has announced Fibe as the winner of its 2024 Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge. Fibe is a material science startup developing the world’s first textile fibres out of potato harvest waste. The company is developing the most scale, affordable and sustainable textile fibres with comparable performance to mainstream materials. They will receive £15,000 to advance their innovation and grow their business.

The winner was chosen by a judging panel of industry experts, including Ella Gould, Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Selfridges; Chelsea Franklin, Head of Advanced Concept Design at PANGAIA; Gillian Lipton, sustainability consultant most recently at Alexander McQueen; Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion, UAL; and Adam Mansell, CEO of UKFT.

Ella Gould, Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Selfridges and Manufacturing Futures judge, said:

Idan Gal-Shohet, co-founder of Fibe, commented:

The runners-up, who will each receive £5,000 for their business, include Sequinova, who are making biodegradable sequins out of cellulose; and Fab Materials, who are converting hard to recycle fashion waste into valuable boards and composites, such as furniture. 

Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District commented:

“Congratulations to Fibe for winning this year’s Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge. I am thoroughly impressed by the talent and creativity of all the start-ups who took part in this year’s challenge and am hopeful for the future of the industry. There’s plenty we can do to improve and start-ups like these take us one step closer to achieving tangible change.” 

The following brands were also part of the 2024 iteration of Manufacturing Futures: Innovation Challenge: 

We would like to thank The Conduit for hosting the Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge awards ceremony, and everyone that joined us to celebrate.

All images: Christian Sinibaldi

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Fashion District has announced the shortlist of 10 start-ups and SMEs in its coveted Innovation Challenge: Manufacturing Futures programme.

As part of the programme, the brands have the chance to win a £15,000 cash prize to develop their sustainable manufacturing business to make an impact on the fashion industry, chosen by a judging panel of experts in July.

The shortlisted start-ups are:

Helen Lax, Fashion District Director said:

The shortlist was chosen by the Manufacturing Futures judging panel, consisting of industry experts Ella Gould, Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Selfridges; Chelsea Franklin, Head of Advanced Concept Design at PANGAIA; Adam Mansell, CEO of UKFT, Gillian Lipton, Sustainability Director at Alexander McQueen; and Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion, UAL.

Winners from the previous Innovation Challenges include Lone Design Club, a platform where independent brands and conscious shoppers meet; Sparkbox, a retail planning and optimisation platform powered by machine learning; and Biophilica for their entirely plant-based, compostable leather alternative, Treekind.

Fashion District was founded in 2018 with a goal to bring together fashion, technology, business and education in east London to meet, compete, collaborate and innovate. Fashion District works with a number of different partners to facilitate support programmes helping to develop a strong, sustainable network within the UK fashion industry. Spearheaded by Director Helen Lax, Fashion District is supported by London College of Fashion, UAL, and the Mayor of London.

Arda Biomaterials
Arda Biomaterials transforms globally abundant waste and co-product streams into scalable, animal, and plastic-free biomaterials. Arda’s first transformation is turning spent grain from the beer brewing and whisky distilling industries into a novel, leather-like material called New Grain, for use in fashion, automotive, and other sectors.

Fab Materials
Fab Materials are on a mission to deliver planet scale upcycling of the world’s post-consumer fashion waste. Our breakthrough solution addresses the 90M tonnes of clothing that’s sent to landfill or incinerated annually. We convert hard to recycle fashion waste into valuable boards and composites.

Fibe
Fibe is revolutionising the industry by engineering cutting-edge technology to extract cellulosic fibres from potato harvest waste. This untapped waste, which amounts to 150M tonnes annually and cannot be fed to livestock or compost, has the potential to provide 70% of global non-synthetic clothing demand. Our fibres use 99% less water, produce 82% less CO2e and require no land compared to cotton.

Fiiba
Fiiba is a next generation textile developer, scaling sustainable materials for the fashion industry made from 100% agricultural waste. Fiiba fibre has 1/10 the carbon footprint of conventional cotton and a 100% transparent supply chain. Fiiba raises low-income farmers out of poverty by paying for their waste and providing free organic fertiliser (a natural by-product of Fiiba’s innovation) that promotes long-term soil health.

Oxford Biopigments
Oxford Biopigments (OBP) mission is to solve key problems associated with sustainable textile dyeing. To this end we have developed a world first in plant-based, sustainable dyes: naturally lightfast dye molecules, modified to work without additional binding agents, that are easily blended to generate new colours and are compatible with existing dyeing machinery. Crucially, our dyes have equivalent technical performance to modern synthetic dyes without the harmful environmental impact.

PACT
PACT designs elegant biomaterials made in harmony with the planet Earth. We’re committed to helping the world’s most innovative companies dream without boundaries. Our first biomaterial Oval is inspired by generations of leather artisans and master craftspeople, Oval is a supple material made from collagen sourced from industrial by-products. It’s a highly scalable material that offers designers unparalleled flexibility whilst minimising environmental impacts across the entire production process.

Sequinova
Sequinova is a pioneering biomaterials company, revolutionising the textiles industry with cutting-edge biodegradable sequin materials. Plant-based, non-toxic, and available in a variety of colours and effects, we’ve partnered with the world’s leading manufacturers in Europe and Asia to deliver production-ready eco textiles at scale.

The Seam
The Seam delivers wardrobe care & repair at scale, pairing local, specialist Makers with people and brands to keep fashion out of landfill, and in the loop. The Seam is the fastest growing care and repair service in the UK powered by intelligent tech. Their network of specialists includes tailors, cobblers, leather restorers, knitwear menders, skewer cleaners, embroidery artists and so much more.

TRUSS
TRUSS is a London-based fashion technology SME focused on enhancing the second-hand fashion market through AI solutions and in-depth research. TRUSS aims to simplify the resale process through instant access to actionable data, removing the need for online research and manual data entry, while prioritising information and narratives.

Zori Tex
Zori Tex is a climate tech start-up on a mission to drive circularity in the hugely resource intensive fashion and textiles industry through innovative AI-powered technologies – combining machine vision and the latest deep learning networks to optimise the sorting and availability of complex non-reusable feedstocks, ready for closed loop recycling.

This year’s Manufacturing Futures prize will include:

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Last week we celebrated the launch of Manufacturing Futures 2024 at a sold-out event at The Trampery.

Marking Fashion District’s sixth innovation challenge, this year the focus is on technological innovations and sustainable solutions that are solving any of the complex fashion manufacturing challenges facing the industry. Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District, described the event as a gathering of individuals that share ‘the same ethos, values and ideas for the future of fashion and sustainability.’

Kicking off the event was keynote speaker Lauren Bartley, Chief Sustainability Officer at GANNI, who gave insight into GANNI’s strategy and how they work with innovation. ‘GANNI has a very very ambitious goal to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2027,’ Lauren said. ‘The materials we use account for 50% of our carbon impact, making this our primary window of opportunity. It’s also where Ganni should focus as materials represent one of our most significant decarbonisation levers.’ 

Lauren also highlighted GANNI’s Fabrics of the Future initiative. ‘Fabrics of the Future is an internal research and development hub that scans the market for fabrics that will change the industry. At this point we’re working with thirty different material creators that have solutions or new innovations for materials. By 2025 the goal is that 10% of our materials should be coming from fabrics of the future.’ 

One of the material creators GANNI have collaborated with is London-based biotech company Modern Synthesis. Lauren invited Jen Keane, CEO of Modern Synthesis, on stage to discuss their recent partnership.

Having developed a new class of biomaterials, Modern Synthesis works with bacteria to produce a type of non-woven textile that can be used to displace materials like leather, and in the future replace a wide variety of coated textiles. Modern Synthesis partnered with GANNI to reimagine their staple Bou Bag in their new innovative bacterial nanocellulose material. The handbag was unveiled at the London Design Festival 2023. 

Explaining why Modern Synthesis reached out to GANNI to propose a potential collaboration, Jen said, ‘As a startup that makes materials, we can’t do it all. We need to actually make the impact that we want to drive and so we have to get it into a product. We need brands and partners across the whole supply chain to make that possible. We contacted GANNI because they have such a strong perspective in this space and actually take action. Very few brands have innovation departments.’

Lauren rounded up the conversation by saying: ‘I hope that what you’ll take away from our talk today is that GANNI relies heavily on innovations like Modern Synthesis to meet our sustainability goals, and vice versa. Jen needs brands like GANNI to secure investment and effectively implement these technologies. It’s important not to underestimate the value of partnership.’’ 

Offering one final tip to the audience Jen said, ‘Don’t give up! It’s hard but we’re gonna get there. My biggest advice is to collaborate as much as possible. You can’t do everything yourself. Figure out what you’re good at, what you’re not good at, and find friends to do the things you’re not good at.’

Helen Lax then took to the stage to introduce this year’s innovation challenge, Manufacturing Futures 2024. ‘This year, we’re seeking innovative ideas, businesses, and startups that can benefit the fashion industry by offering sustainable solutions for various aspects of the supply chain.’

To be eligible for the challenge, applicants must have a tech-based solution, be a registered business, and either be operating in the UK or have plans to pilot or operate in the UK. The winner will take home £15,000, as well as receiving business support from PANGAIA, one-year complimentary UKFT membership, one-year workspace membership at The Trampery and one-year platform membership from Common Objective. The runners-up will receive £5,000 each, one-year UKFT membership and one-year platform membership from Common Objective. 

Finalists will attend a one-day event in May where high-level industry professionals will act as ‘critical friends’ to support and challenge their business proposition, and provide constructive feedback; as well as two Development Days focused around production and investment. Finalists will also be invited to join the celebratory Fashion District Innovation Awards and Investment Supper in July, attended by influential members of the fashion, tech and investment industry.

After running through the details of this year’s manufacturing challenge, it was time to hear from our incredible judging panel: Chelsea Franklin, Head of Advanced Concept Design, PANGAIA; Adam Mansell, CEO, UKFT; Gillian Lipton, Head of Sustainability, Alexander McQueen; Ella Gould, Head of Circularity and Innovation, Selfridges, and Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency, UAL: London College of Fashion.

Discussing their criteria for the challenge, Matthew Drinkwater said, ‘Above all, I want to feel excitement for an application that I’m reading. It’s that magical moment…you want to transform the innovation into a real thing.’

Ella Gould added, ‘I’m always sceptical when someone comes to me with big tech and they only talk about the technology. Come to me with a problem, tell me the problem that you’re solving or why you’re doing something better. That for me is when the juices start flowing and I get really inspired.’ 

Gillian Lipton stressed the importance of time. ‘For me it’s all about finding a solution that is scalable, but also that I don’t have to wait too long for. I’m aware that things take time, in terms of innovation and new materials, but we don’t have time!’ 

Adam Mansell stated the biggest problem for him was volume. ‘I love new materials, new materials are fantastic, but if someone came up with a concept that would allow us to take all the cotton, polyester, and wool that we use, capture it, recycle it, get it manufactured in the UK, that gets my vote. You’d get lifetime membership to UKFT if you can solve that! But genuinely that’s where the problem is. That’s where the focus really needs to be.’

Chelsea Franklin urged applicants to consider the customer. ‘Functionality is obviously very important in terms of innovation performance, but also understanding how to convince a consumer to buy something, such as an alternative fabric – why? If the price is so much more significant, why should they purchase it? How do you tell that story? Build that narrative?’

The event concluded with key advice from the judges. Matthew Drinkwater advised applicants to think about clarity of message. ‘What problem are you solving? Answer all of those questions fully and critically, and you stand a really good chance of getting through.’

Chelsea Franklin echoed this. ‘Articulating your vision is a skill in itself. We want to know what problem you’re solving, problem solution framing, and why we should care. If you can answer that clearly and visually that’s my top tip.’ 

‘Don’t bring me something that’s been done five years ago,’ Adam said. ‘Do your homework. Do proper market research. Also read the application questions carefully and answer them clearly. Look at the finances bit, because it’s really important that you’re thinking beyond the initial. Think about what the future looks like, and don’t tell me that you’re going to be a billion pound turnover company in five years time. It’s hard work. It takes a lot of effort and collaboration and that should not be why you’re in this space, you should be in this space to solve a problem.’

Do you think you’ve got what it takes to manufacture a new sustainable solution? Want to be in with a chance of winning £15,000? Applications for Manufacturing Futures 2024 are now open!

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Thursday 8 Feb | 18:00 – 20:30
The Ballroom, The Trampery, 239 Old Street, London, EC1V 9EY

We’re delighted to announce the launch of our next innovation challenge Manufacturing Futures 2024, hosted in partnership with The Trampery, a purpose-led enterprise providing workspace, training and management for London’s trailblazing businesses. Join us on 8th February to find out more about next year’s challenge, hear from leading figures in fashion sustainability, and network with London’s fashion, tech and innovation communities.

To help us launch the challenge, we’ll be hearing from Lauren Bartley, Chief Sustainability Officer at GANNI and Jen Keane, CEO of Modern Synthesis, one of our Manufacturing Futures 2021 winners. Lauren will present a keynote on embedding innovative sustainable solutions into a large brand, followed by a discussion with Jen about how the GANNI x Modern Synthesis partnership came about.

Afterwards, we’ll launch next year’s challenge brief, followed by a ‘meet the judges’ panel, where attendees will get the opportunity to learn more about our judges and find out their criteria for selecting the winners. The evening will conclude with networking, drinks and nibbles.

Agenda:

About The Challenge

Fashion District’s annual Innovation Challenges are designed to find solutions to current industry issues, while supporting new innovations and SMEs. Next year, we’re running our second ‘Manufacturing Futures’ challenge, to support technological innovations and sustainable solutions which are solving any of the complex fashion manufacturing challenges facing the industry. This could include anything from:

We also seek to encourage tech solutions, perhaps from other sectors, that could be applied to fashion manufacturing and create interdisciplinary connections between technologists and engineers, and fashion creatives and manufacturers.

Applicants will be in with the chance of winning cash prizes, business support, and the opportunity to pitch to some of the industry’s leading brands and innovators.

MEET OUR JUDGES

Manufacturing Futures 2024 brings together high-profile fashion, technology and sustainability experts committed to supporting the next wave of innovation. Come along to the launch to hear from our esteemed judging panel, including:

Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to receive updates about this exciting event!

As part of the final stages of the Design Futures 2022 challenge, our shortlisted designers had the privilege of presenting their innovations to industry experts at our ‘Critical Friends Day.’ The day provided the finalists with the rare opportunity to receive critical feedback from specialists in various sectors to ensure their design concept is foolproof ahead of their final presentation to the judges.   

What?
Each shortlisted designer had the opportunity to sit down with five different Critical Friends panels including: Business Planning, Marketing, Design Innovation, Production + Sourcing, and Use Phase + End of Life. The designers took the first few minutes to introduce and explain their concept in detail. Afterwards, the Critical Friends critiqued the proposed design innovation and gave feedback from the perspective of their specialist area. 

Why?
This part of the challenge is designed specifically to support our shortlist in the lead up to the final presentations, where they will showcase their design innovation and pitch to win. To be in with the best chance of winning, the panels were aligned to the key points of the Design Futures criteria so that the designers could develop their propositions using constructive feedback.

Who?
The Critical Friends have been selected for their expertise and experience across specialist areas, ensuring that the designers get well-rounded feedback in each session.

Read on below to see the full list of experts that took part. 

BUSINESS PLANNING
Alan Hunt – Head of Intellectual Property, Lewis Silkin
Tom Gaunt – Co-Founder of The Collective and Deputy Co-Head of Media and Entertainment Group, Lewis Silkin
Stuart Balmer – Principal of Financial Planning, Balmer Financial Planning
Sally Denton – Editor and Founder, HRE AFTA

MARKETING
Mafalda Oliveira – Business Engagement Lead, ReLondon
Emily Gordon-Smith – Content Director and Sustainability Lead, Stylus
Jen Charon – Co-Founder, LOANHOOD

DESIGN INNOVATION
Dagmar Grote – Partnership Manager, Fashion for Good
Marilyn Martinez – Project Manager, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Chelsea Franklin – Senior Concept Designer, PANGAIA

PRODUCTION + SOURCING
Blake Sturgess – Senior Manager, Product Operations, PANGAIA
Andrew Yip – Head of Materials and Process Innovation, PANGAIA
Mikha Mekler – Lecturer in production manager, Ex-Head of Production at Raeburn

USE PHASE / END OF LIFE
Anastasia Grenkova – Sustainability Manager, Oxwash
Rory Hugill – Materials Impact Manager, PANGAIA
Layla Sargent – Founder and CEO, The Seam

We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to all of the industry experts that provided invaluable feedback during the Critical Friends Day. We can’t wait to see the results at the final presentations in November.

Stay tuned for more Design Futures 2022 updates by following us on our social channels, or why not sign up to our much-loved monthly newsletter?

The Fashion District, in collaboration with London College of Fashion, UAL, is pleased to announce the shortlist of nine designers that could revolutionise the fashion industry.

Design Futures 2022 calls upon sustainably-driven designers and businesses to present new design solutions to prevent premature disposal, and extend the usage of products to help make a positive impact on the planet. It is focused on designers who are developing propositions for longevity, zero waste design, designing with waste, material cyclability, and regeneration.

Shortlisted designers are competing to win a cash prize of £15,000, donated by PANGAIA, one of the leading material science companies dedicated to tackling the climate crisis. The winner will also receive a development workshop with PANGAIA, plus ten consultancy hours with the company. The Trampery Fish Island Village will provide a one-year desk membership, alongside the Business of Fashion who is offering complementary professional membership, and Common Objective who will be providing a 12-month business membership with global connections, premium intelligence and training courses in sustainable fashion and manufacturing. The winner will also receive a brand new sewing machine from Anglo American Sewing Machines.

The shortlist was selected by our high-profile panel of leading sustainable and fashion experts: Craig Smith, Research and Development Director at PANGAIA; Shailja Dubé, Institute of Positive Fashion Lead, British Fashion Council; Sebastian Manes, Executive Director, Buying and Merchandising, Selfridges; Phoebe English, Designer; and Laetitia Frost, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Circular Design.

The 9 finalists are listed below:

Andrew Bell
Andrew Bell is a London-based designer whose design practice aims to change the future of tailoring. His innovation integrates traditional tailoring techniques with sonic welding and taping technologies in a bid to transform the tailoring process. The result is a lightweight garment that is mono-material in its fabrication, allowing it to be easily reprocessed at the end-of-life stage.

Daniel Crabtree
Reimagining British tailoring, Daniel Crabtree offers handcrafted menswear staples that are progressive and built to endure. Each shape is drawn and cut freehand, generating unexpected fits and proportions that playfully embody the awkwardness of youth. His look is crafted from repurposed fabrics and materials to eliminate waste from development and production processes.

FibreLab
FibreLab empowers fashion businesses to implement circular practices throughout their supply chain by shredding their unwanted textiles and developing innovative ways to use them. Their look was designed with circularity in mind and explores key sustainability themes including hyper-local sourcing, modularity, and design for disassembly.

Nicci James
Having completed an MA in Fashion Knitwear at the Royal College of Art, designer Nicci James works with a design method that harnesses wool’s durability by using knitted structures to engineer strength into the garment. Her innovation uses the capabilities of wool without added interfacings, stabilisers, or linings, presenting a completely mono-material example of tailoring that is easier to reprocess.

Osmose Studio
Osmose Studio is an interdisciplinary design studio focused on regenerative circularity and sustainability in fashion, accessories, and homeware. Their innovation offers a new restorative and symbiotic clothing production model, where renewable fibres are combined with organic dyes, assisting the remediation of UK polluted land sites.

Savvas Alexander
Savvas Alexander is a designer and maker from Yorkshire whose design practice embodies the creation of meaningful clothing by enabling made-to-order systems that tackle overproduction and overconsumption. His innovation reduces garment processes and speeds up manufacture by sealing garment edges, and eliminating excess finishes and fastenings.

Skins of Earth
Plant-based luxury handbag brand Skins of Earth is on a mission to drive sustainable change. Paying homage to paleobiology, their designs evoke sculptural forms and are made entirely from natural rubber biomaterials that are grown as a live form using a low-energy incubation system; ensuring that all designs can be biodegradable after their life cycle.

WEFFAN x Liquid Editions
Weffan x Liquid Editions is a collaboration between 3D woven textile company Weffan and designer brand Liquid Editions. Together they have created a 3D woven, low-waste outfit that combines two manufacturing steps into one, merging the weaving of the fabric with the creation of the garment. This method considers the sustainability of everything in the production process and proposes a new way to decrease garment manufacture.

Y.A.N.G. (You Are the Next Generation)
Hailing from Chile, Y.A.N.G. has spent the last six years working as a designer and upcycler. Their innovation is a waste-minimising garment reconstruction method that will allow retailers to efficiently reconstruct or redesign their excess stock. This will ensure retailers cut out waste, extend the life of their products, and introduce garment remaking techniques.

Before pitching to the judges at an industry and investor supper in November 2022, the finalists will receive constructive feedback from high-level industry experts who will act as Critical Friends, in the areas of fashion design, business strategy, IP, production and circularity.

Helen Lax, Director, Fashion District said: “We are delighted to announce our shortlist of designers who have proposed nine innovations that could advance the field of circular design. This is our chance to work together, both within the industry and across other sectors, to bring circular design into public consciousness in a bid to tackle environmental issues and reshape the fashion industry.”

Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date with the latest Design Futures news.

We’re delighted to announce that Fashion District is supporting The PDS Innovation Awards! Celebrating the ongoing partnership between Common Objective (CO) and PDS Limited, the awards offer early-stage businesses the opportunity to pitch in front of PDS investors.

PDS Limited is a leader in enabling the next generation of sustainable and scalable fashion tech start-ups. PDS Venture Tech, the venture arm of PDS Limited, has already invested in a raft of businesses – from Materra to Good on You, Unspun, and many more. Could you be their next investment? The PDS Innovation Awards is your opportunity to pitch to the PDS investment team, plus benefit from promotion to the 50k+ Common Objective fashion industry base.

For the purpose of the awards, the judging panel considers sustainability to encompass positive impact for people, as well as addressing environmental concerns.

By completing the application form below and creating a CO business profile, you enter the competition to win a chance to pitch in front of the PDS investment team. In this process, the CO team will pre-screen a shortlist of the most innovative and exciting start-ups. Out of these, PDS will select a few that will be invited to pitch. Judging these pitches, PDS will select a winner to be considered for investment or other support from PDS.

All shortlisted applicants will benefit from promotion across the CO platform. All applicants benefit from creating a free business profile on CO, and joining the global industry community dedicated to sustainability best practice. 

For your business to be eligible for the awards, you must:

Judges will be looking for the following:

Innovation led business models

Scalability 

To finish your application, please complete the following 2 steps:

Applications can only be considered if both steps have been completed by the deadline: 30th June 2022.

APPLY NOW: https://www.commonobjective.co/article/about-the-pds-innovation-awards 

Keep your eyes peeled on our social channels for more events and opportunities for you and your business!

Are you looking for a fun way to introduce your kids to sustainability? Well, look no further! Bring your little eco warriors along to The Lab E20 on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th June for FREE storytelling, puppet making and craft activities.

At the Green Kids Studio, not only will we be showcasing environmentally friendly products from leading kidswear brands, we’ll also be hosting a range of playful activities for your little eco warriors to get involved in throughout the weekend. Come along and have some fun at the following:

🐛 Pip & Henry’s Bug Hunt – Storytelling Activity (under 6 y/o)
Pip & Henry are scouting around their home, looking for the Naughty Bug that’s making everyone sick! Along the way they meet many other friendly bugs and creatures that reassure them that not all bugs are scary, how some bugs actually help the planet, and advise them on what to do next to stay safe. Can Pip & Henry send the Naughty Bug away and stop him coming back? 

🎨 Art Play London (under 12 y/o)
Art Play London is a creative space in London for children and adults to set their imaginations free with a strong focus on the environment and sustainable materials.

Throughout the weekend they’ll be running workshops that will help kids understand environmental concerns through art, including Eco Warriors Art and Craft that will offer children the chance to use recycled resources to create a piece of artwork to take home, as well as helping to create a collaborative mosaic using recycled materials.

In The Naughty Bug Puppet Theatre, children will also be able to make naughty bug puppets out of recycled materials and then stage their own miniature plays in a handmade theatre, made of abandoned and repurposed wood. 

🖍️ Community Couture (all ages)
Community Couture combines bespoke slow fashion principles with traditions of storytelling through textiles.

Their drop-in craft sessions will give young people the opportunity to reflect on the issues facing the world and the role that they can play in it, by encouraging them to get creative through illustration and collage. There will be a big cardboard canvas for you to fill with shapes and pictures that show us how to help the planet.

These unique artworks will then be translated into textile weaves and made into a piece of children’s clothing that will later be available to rent. 

Drop-in anytime over the weekend! No booking necessary.

Mark it down in your diaries because this is a pop-up you do not want to miss! We can’t wait to see you there!

Keep your eyes peeled on our social channels for more upcoming brand and activity announcements in the coming weeks! We can’t wait to see you there.

Applications for The Backroom Pitch are now closed.

Fashion District is hosting The Backroom Pitch in Stratford on Tuesday 19 July, 18:00 – 20:30, where selected businesses will pitch to a panel of VCs and investors, all interested in new sustainable solutions that tackle the critical issues of the fashion industry.

Joining us on the day will be Diarra Smith and investors from Ascension Ventures, Backed VC, Bethnal Green Ventures, Conduit Connect, Fuel Ventures, Nesta, Speedinvest, PDS Ventures, Alma Angels and many more!

The diverse line-up of investors will be looking for businesses that are focused on any part of the fashion value chain including (but not limited to):

If your solution aims to innovate the fashion industry, to help it become more circular, more sustainable, more ethical, we would love to hear from you.

In between pitching, the selected businesses will be able to network with other founders, fashion professionals and entrepreneurs. This is an opportunity that you don’t want to miss!

Application Process + Eligibility

To be in with the chance of pitching at The Backroom Pitch, please complete the application form below by Sunday 10 July, midnight.

Applications will be selected based on the following criteria:

We are committed to diversity and inclusion and strongly encourage applications from founders that are women, black, POC, and other underrepresented communities.

If you have any queries, please get in touch with us at team@fashion-district.co.uk

All applicants will receive the outcome of their application by 12 July.

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