Image: Christopher Kane, Backstage, autumn/winter 2010 at London Fashion Week, February 2010.
The
London Development Agency (LDA) and British Fashion Council (BFC) are working together to ensure the continued success of London's fashion industry.
The LDA has awarded the BFC a grant of £4.5 million to deliver a fashion industry support programme. The resultant schemes developed by the BFC provide business support and mentoring to emerging designers in the UK capital and raise the profile of London Fashion Week in international markets.
As the UK's designer fashion body, the BFC own and organise the internationally recognised London Fashion Week. This global showcase of British design excellence is central to the London fashion industry. As well as being a leading showcase of fashion talent, London Fashion Week is a beacon of the city's creativity as a whole; the positive economic impact of LFW comes not only through direct sales and business done during the event, but also its effect on other sectors, such as tourism and retail.
As a world-renowned centre of fashion, London plays a vital role in the UK designer fashion industry. The city is home to the majority of the country's leading designers and the headquarters of international brands.
Much of the UK's reputation within the global fashion community is built on our exceptional fashion educational institutes; London has some of the most prominent training colleges for fashion designers worldwide, with an impressive alumnus roll-call including Giles Deacon, John Galliano, Stella McCartney to name just a few.
Working with the BFC, the LDA aims to support designers from student level upwards.
The importance of the fashion industry to London's economy, and the need to address business support gaps, means that the sector is of particular importance to the London Development Agency, which is funding a number of key projects.
The objectives of the LDA's support for the fashion industry divides broadly into two themes:
- Promoting London's established reputation as a leading fashion city
By contributing towards the showcasing and promotion of the fashion industry, through the support of a healthy future for London Fashion Week in a competitive global marketplace, and other events aimed at enhancing London's reputation as a leading fashion city.
- Offering specialist business support for London-based designers
By supportinf new and emerging designers based in London, many of whom have come from the city's world class fashion colleges, and so develop thriving, sustainable businesses that contribute to the economy of London.
To meet these objectives, the LDA has supported a programme of activities, delivered and coordinated by the British Fashion Council including the London Fashion Showcasing Fund.
London Fashion Showcasing Fund
A major programme of investment aimed at strengthening the profile and content of London Fashion Week. It communicates the reputation of London-based designers and London's fashion events, to the most distinguished international media, buyers and designers.
Recipients have included : All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, Estethica, Fashion East, Fashion Fringe, On|Off and Vauxhall Fashion Scout.
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Model Programme
Following the BFC’s 2007 Model Health Inquiry, the LDA supported the BFC to develop an action plan to respond to concerns raised by the Inquiry. A number of achievements have been made to date to support the health and wellbeing of models working primarily at London Fashion Week and the industry as a whole.
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