Fashion District and The Trampery launch programme for “next generation sustainable brands”

Innovation hub Fashion District and social enterprise The Trampery have launched Evo Fashion – a five-month innovation programme “to empower the next generation of sustainable fashion brands and technology businesses”.

Applications are now open for a fully-funded training programme with industry experts. Emerging fashion brands will benefit from monthly mentoring and peer-to-peer workshops worth over £2,500 per participating business.

Backed by the Mayor of London, London & Partners and the British Fashion Council, the programme offers an opportunity for all creatives and London-based start-ups to gain invaluable industry experience and networking opportunities, from the likes of Bianca Saunders, winner of the New Establishment Menswear Award at The Fashion Awards 2023, and Yvie Hutton, Director of Designer Relations & Membership for the British Fashion Council.

Evo Fashion has been created “to tackle the underlying challenges that emerging fashion labels face”, such as the difficulty to integrate sustainable business models, access to early-stage financing, and gaining traction with global players.

The programme aims to provide fashion entrepreneurs with the tools and framework needed to advance their business goals, upskill ethical working standards and “achieve supply chain sustainability in a highly competitive industry”.

Fashion District Director, Helen Lax, said: “Evo Fashion is creating opportunities for fashion-forward businesses to evolve and innovate in London. The programme is designed to support designer labels and tech businesses to be more sustainable, more ethical and more robust. Evo Fashion will showcase this new wave of talent to instigate change in the fashion industry.”

Menswear Designer Bianca Saunders, who along with Lax and Hutton is on the judging panel, commented: “I am delighted to work with Fashion District and Evo Fashion to select talented designers from London that can benefit from all important business support. London influences my own creativity and work and is a great place to be a fashion designer, so I am really excited to see the designers in the city that Evo Fashion will bring forward.”

Justine Simons, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, added: “London is the fashion capital of the world and supporting new brands, businesses and designers through projects such as Evo Fashion will help new fashion entrepreneurs thrive.

“The Mayor and I are proud to support initiatives like these which work with businesses to build a better, more sustainable and prosperous London for everyone.”

Eligible participants will be selected based on four main criteria: their business profile, growth potential, positive social and environmental impact, and support of inclusivity and diversity.

Applications are now open for the first programme running from March to July 2024, with entries closing on 8 January 2024. The successful cohort will be officially announced in February 2024.

The second programme, which will support fashion technology businesses, will officially launch in Spring 2024 and run from July to December 2024.