Applications open for The Trampery fashion campus in East London

Applications are now open for fashion start-ups, designers, coders and other entrepreneurs to secure one of the 23 affordable and hi-spec studios at The Trampery Fish Island Village in Hackney Wick.

The site is part of the wider Fashion District initiative, which is delivered with the British Fashion Council, London College of Fashion, Mayor of London and London Legacy Development Corporation and aims to establish the Lea Valley and in particular Poplar, Bow and Hackney Wick as a new focal point for the UK fashion industry.

Studio space starts at just £25 per square foot, with studios ranging in size from 300-3,000 square feet. The the site's six acres will include hi-spec studios, a co-working facility, a member’s lounge along with venues for sample sales and catwalk shows, running along the canal. A fully equipped sampling & fabrication suite will be opening in 2019.

Applications are open for the first 23 studios until 30 December. The first seven studios will open in December with the remaining opening through to May next year. Applications will be considered by a judging panel including:

• - Vanessa Podmore – Founder, Podmore Consulting; former VP of Supply Chain Sustainability, Burberry
• - Yvie Hutton – Head of Membership & Designer Relations, British Fashion Council
• - Matthew Drinkwater – Head of Fashion Innovation Agency, London College of Fashion
• - Charles Armstrong – Founder & CEO, The Trampery

The Trampery was previously located in London Fields but was forced to close in 2015 when its rents were pushed up by 400%; a number of well known designers had begun their careers there.

“Five years ago, The Trampery opened London’s first dedicated workspace for fashion at London Fields; where we were joined by some of the UK’s most talented designers such as James Long, Holly Fulton and Jonathan Saunders,” said founder and CEO Charles Armstrong.

“With The Trampery Fish Island Village we’re taking the vision to the next level, creating an amazing new campus for fashion innovators. Through Fashion District we’re also part of a much greater endeavour to turbo-charge London’s fashion economy. I hope fashion labels and start-ups of all kinds will submit applications and join us on this great adventure.”