Fashion East is a non-profit designer support and showcasing scheme, a special project established by the Old Truman Brewery and Lulu Kennedy MBE in 2000. Designers can apply for support across three different programmes. Each programme offers fashion week showcasing opportunities, business mentoring & financial sponsorship for menswear and womenswear designers. Designers are selected by Lulu Kennedy and a panel of leading industry experts.
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Fashion East has supported and launched brands including: JW Anderson, Gareth Pugh, Jonathan Saunders, Roksanda Ilincic, Richard Nicoll, House of Holland, Meadham Kirchhoff, Louise Gray , Cassette Playa, Christopher Shannon, James Long, Nasir Mazhar, Martine Rose, Sibling, Simone Rocha, Marques'Almeida, Shaun Samson, Astrid Andersen, Agi & Sam, Ashley Williams, Claire Barrow, Craig Green and many more. Fashion East has also worked with Kim Jones (now Style Director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear), Judy Blame and Gosha Rubchinskiy as special guests.
Fashion East Womenswear
Each season the Fashion East womenswear scheme offers three designers the opportunity to present a collection to international press & buyers on schedule at London Fashion Week. Designers also receive business mentoring, financial sponsorship & inclusion in a top Paris sales showroom.
Womenswear designers are selected by Lulu Kennedy and a panel of leading womenswear industry experts including: Brix Smith-Start (Owner, START Boutique), Charlie Harrington (Stylist & Creative Director), Charlie Porter (Men’s Fashion Critic, Financial Times), Francesca Burns (Contributing Fashion Editor, British Vogue), Kay Barron (Fashion Features Director, Net-a-Porter), Lauren Cochrane (Assistant Fashion Editor, The Guardian), Mandi Lennard (PR & Consultant, Mandi’s Basement), Richard Sloan (Creative Consultant & Stylist) and Sarah Mower (Contributing Editor, Vogue USA).
Topshop has been the headline sponsor of Fashion East’s womenswear scheme since 2003. Fashion East also receives funding from the Greater London Authority.
Fashion East & Topman’s MAN
In September 2005 the team behind Fashion East launched ‘MAN’ in partnership with TOPMAN. The joint initiative is an identical support scheme for three emerging menswear designers to showcase their work via a group catwalk show at London Collections Men. This was the first menswear scheme of its kind. Starting with a place on London’s womenswear schedule, by September 2009 MAN began London’s first menswear day of shows and is now credited with the launch of London Collections Men in June 2012.
"MAN is still burning the torch for all that's new and creative in British menswear design. Its heartbeat pumps the vital fresh blood into Menswear day- without MAN Menswear day would not exist!" Gordon Richardson, Design Director at TOPMAN
Menswear designers are selected by Lulu Kennedy and a panel of leading menswear industry experts including: Andrew Davis (Men’s Fashion Director, Wonderland Magazine), Ben Reardon (Editor, Man About Town), Charlie Porter (Men’s Fashion Critic, Financial Times), Gordon Richardson (Creative director, TOPMAN), Luke Day (Editor, GQ Style), Sam Lobban (Contemporary Buyer, Mr Porter) and Tim Blanks (Editor-at-Large, Style.com).
Fashion East Men’s Presentations
In February 2009 Fashion East introduced their Fashion East Men’s Presentations (formerly known as Menswear Installations) as an accompaniment to the MAN show for London Fashion Week’s first menswear showcase (Autumn/Winter 2009). The first London menswear showcase was co-curated by Fashion East’s founder & director Lulu Kennedy with the British Fashion Council. The showcase spearheaded London Fashion Week’s first dedicated menswear day in September 2009 (Spring/Summer 2010) and in June 2012, MAN, Fashion East and Lulu Kennedy were credited as the catalyst in the launch of London Collections Men (Spring/Summer 2013). Fashion East Men’s Presentations gives additional menswear designers a platform to present their collections in a group exhibition at London Collections Men.
"It can never be repeated enough: when Lulu Kennedy and Topman’s MAN initiative began in 2005, there was no such thing as London men’s shows. They started the ball rolling. Without them, London Collections: Men would not exist." Charlie Porter, Men's Fashion Critic at Financial Times
Press
Fashion East’s showsand events are regularly attended by influential tastemakers globally from key publications and stores. Celebrity guests have included Victoria Beckham, Harry Styles, Wiz Khalifa, Tinie Tempah, Brooke Candy, Nick Grimshaw, Pixie Geldof, Poppy Delevingne and Daisy Lowe.
“Fashion East is the new talent nerve centre.” The Daily Telegraph
“Ms. Kennedy [founder of an incubator program called Fashion East] has helped so many that she actually put a city back on the fashion map.’ The New York Times
“For young designers across the world, it helps to have a fairy godmother. New York's budding talent has Anna Wintour. London has Lulu Kennedy… Ms Kennedy is a big factor in the evolution of London Fashion Week.” The Wall Street Journal
“Fashion East is the future of fashion” i-D magazine
“The premier place to spot the fashion stars of tomorrow.” Style.com
“Fashion East is so established as an elite incubator for London’s newest talent that it’s unmissable. Their unerring eye and instinct makes them a key contributor to London’s fashion reputation.” Sarah Mower MBE, Contributing Editor at US Vogue
“Fashion East, the breeding ground for London’s coolest young designers and always a hot ticket. Fashion East doesn’t just support young talent. It delivers it.” ELLE UK
“Fashion East has been the jump-off point for many of the biggest labels on the London Collections Men schedule. Safe to say that if you’re looking for the next big thing in menswear, you’re going to find it here.” British GQ
“Fashion East, the indisputable fertile ground for fresh global fashion talent has delivered yet again. Fashion East may very well be the go-to event for London Collections Men.” Nowfashion.com
Venues
Fashion East has held events at many venues across London including: Old Truman Brewery, Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall and Tate Tanks, Natural History Museum, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Electric Ballroom, Curzon Mayfair Cinema, Haunch of Venison Gallery and Blacks Members Club Soho. Internationally, Fashion East has hosted events in Moscow and Paris, including a collaboration with Colette in Paris.