Smithfield to become new creative hub for the capital’s next generation of fashion designers
- The Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield will provide six state of the art studios to the capital’s fashion creatives
- Delivered by Mayor of London, Projekt and Paul Smith’s Foundation, it will provide London fashion designers with free space in the heart of the City and access to mentoring from industry leaders
- New figures show Mayor’s support of the fashion, design, games and film industries has helped them secure more than £2.8bn in sales, trade and investment since 2019
New creative studios providing free space to the capital’s future fashion designers were today launched at Smithfield Market.
The Mayor of London, Projekt and Paul Smith’s Foundation have come together to establish the Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield, enabled through support from the City of London Corporation. The initiative will see fashion designers have access to 5,000sqft of temporary workspace.
Over the next three years, three cohorts of six fashion designers will receive a free 400sqft studio space for 12 months each, as well as mentoring from industry leaders and business planning training.
It will create opportunities for London’s next top fashion designers to grow their businesses and learn from fashion and business experts. It puts the Square Mile at the heart of London’s fashion industry and supports growth in the capital’s world-leading creative industries.
The Mayor of London and Projekt have funded the six creative studios for use by the fashion residents, each investing £175,000 to cover the rent and fit out of the spaces. As well as mentoring and their own private studio, residents will also have access to wider facilities including a media suite, events spaces and a photography studio.
Paul Smith’s Foundation has designed the mentoring programme, matching designers with industry leading professionals to help them establish their businesses and create a sustainable footing once they leave. It includes workshops, group seminars and one-to-one tutoring, with more than 40 hours of business skills teaching in legal, finance, production and wholesaling, content creation, styling, communications, social media and more.
British GQ is supporting the programme by providing residents with networking opportunities and mentoring on brand building and digital growth.
The new creative hub, which is located above the Meat Market in Smithfield’s Northwest Quadrant, has been designed by Projekt while plans are considered for the future of the East and West Market buildings.
It is all part of the Mayor of London’s commitment to help the capital’s creative industries. Latest figures show that the Mayor’s support of the British Fashion Council, Film London, London Design Festival and London Games Festival has helped them secure more than £2.8bn in sales, trade and investment in the capital since 2019.
The Mayor also continues to do all he can to support the capital’s artists, including supporting 12 Creative Enterprise Zones to become centres for the creative industries, creating jobs and helping businesses flourish. By 2026, the 12 zones will deliver 71,000 sqm of affordable creative workspace, support 800 businesses, deliver 500 jobs and support 5,000 young Londoners to get jobs in creative industries.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Our creative industries are the lifeblood of our capital, providing one in five jobs and driving our economy, so it’s vital that we do what we can to ensure London remains a leading destination for fashion and design. That’s why our residency programme will give the next generation of fashion designers the space and business know-how to excel, grow their businesses and learn from the best in the industry. By investing in the future of the industry, we’re building a better London for all.”
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, said: “Our Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield gives upcoming fashion designers the chance to take their careers and businesses to the next level, by providing them with incredible space in the heart of the London and mentoring from leading professionals. Our creatives are the beating heart of London and play an instrumental role in our economy, and we will continue to do all we can to support them.”
Sir Paul Smith said: “I set up Paul Smith’s Foundation to bring about opportunities and give helpful advice to creative people. The Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield is a mentoring and support programme for early career fashion designers, conceived specifically to build their skills in topics ranging from legal and finance, to production, merchandising and publicity. I’m excited to be working with a generous team of industry experts and partners to build solid businesses for the long term and celebrate London’s brilliant and diverse creative talent.”
Nick Hartwright, Projekt CEO, said: “I’m incredibly excited about Projekt taking over such an iconic London building and for us to be at the forefront of a transition into a new creative and cultural landmark. Partnering with Paul Smith’s Foundation and the Mayor of London on the Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield will allow us to provide free space for new businesses, and that’s something which is perfectly aligned with Projekt’s core ethos of creating platforms for creative business to flourish.”
Adam Baidawi, Head of Editorial Content at British GQ, said: "Fashion’s future is always charted by new talent. That’s why programs like the Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield are so important. Mentorship helps to give young visionaries the chance to build their skills, their network and their brands. We at British GQ are proud to throw our weight behind the Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield programme. We are excited to see what the next wave of fashion creatives are building."
Chis Hayward, Policy Chairman for the City of London Corporation, said: "We are delighted to support this innovative initiative, revitalising part of our own Smithfield Market, which will provide space and foster creativity and entrepreneurship in the City of London. This project underscores the City of London Corporation's dedication to supporting initiatives that drive economic growth and cultural vibrancy in our community."
Notes to editors
Applications are now open for the first cohort and designers across the capital are encouraged to enter. Designers will be pre-selected by a panel of industry experts and mentors, and the final six will be chosen by a panel including Sir Paul Smith.
Mentors in the programmes include:
- Adam Andrascik, co-founder and CEO of Provineer and Course Leader of MA Fashion: Digital Futures at Ravensbourne University London.
- Alice Bouleau, Partner & Head of Creative Pole at Sterling International
- Catherine Sutton, Sutton Communications
- Charlie Casely-Hayford, Director Casely-Hayford
- Felicity Kay, Stylist & Style Consultant
- Henry Holland, Founder of Henry Holland Studio
- Phoebe Briggs, Brand Director Harris Reed
- Laura Weir, Executive Creative Director, Selfridges
- Mandi Lennard, Founder Mandi’s Basement
- Matthew Mumford, Head of Creative at Paul Smith
- Murray Clark, Senior Style Editor at British GQ
- Neha-Tamara Patel, Director of Audience Development, Analytics & Social at British GQ
- Olya Kuryshchuk, Founder and Editor in Chief of 1 Granary
- Orsola de Castro, Creative Director of Estethica and Co-Founder of Fashion Revolution
- Osborne Clarke
- Tamsin Blanchard, Editor of Hole & Corner and Editor and Curator of Estethica
- Vikram Menon, Financial Advisor and Founder Fashionex
Further supportive quotes
Michael French, Head of Games London & Festival Director, London Games Festival, said: “Video games are a vital part of the creative industries economy in London. Thanks to a vibrant mix of diverse talent, skilled workers and investment the games sector in the city has created both major blockbuster titles and independent breakout hits. Support from the Mayor of London has enabled us to grow the local sector – and since Games London’s founding in 2016, London has grown to become the games capital of Europe, with hundreds of active businesses creating interactive entertainment.”
Ben Evans, Director, London Design festival, and Executive Director, London Design Biennale, said: “We’re proud to be part of London’s creative ecosystem. Our goal is to support the design sector and position London as a global design capital. With the Mayor of London’s support, we have been able to create a platform for designers and creative businesses to showcase their work and make sales. This has also allowed designers to reach new potentials, like Simone Brewster’s LDF project in 2023 ‘Spirit of Place’ that saw her work on a new scale and material.”
Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of Film London, said: “London remains one of the most exciting - and popular - places on earth to make films, TV series and video games. Outside North America, we’re the leading capital city for inward investment production. And for good reason: we’ve an incredibly diverse cultural mix that feeds and inspires our grassroots talent; studios, landmarks and locations that cater to any story; future-proofed reliable tax credits; and an award-winning workforce supported by a growing pipeline of eager new entrants.
“Mayoral support for Film London has been vital in helping ensure our sector continues to thrive, bringing jobs, investment and opportunities to the capital, and giving London filmmakers supportive pathways to have their voices heard.”
The Mayor’s support of the British Fashion Council, the London Film Festival, London Design Festival and London Games Festival has helped them secure more than £2.8bn in sales, trade and investment in the capital since 2019. This includes:
- Support for London’s world-class fashion sector and showcasing of diverse and emerging businesses through London Fashion Week and other initiatives, including BFC NEWGEN and the London Fashion Showcasing Fund, has helped London Fashion Week generate an economic boost of £131m through direct sales to international retailers https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/partners/mayor-of-london
- London Design Festival provides a vital platform for designers and creative businesses to showcase their work and make sales. Backed by the Mayor of London, the annual city-wide celebration plays a pivotal role in promoting the design sector and positioning London as a global design capital. Since 2019, the Mayor of London’s investment in London Design Festival has generated an economic boost of £66m in sales made due to the festival. https://www.londondesignfestival.com/stories/on-the-road-to-ldf24
- London mayoral investment in Film London has helped to enable nearly 34,000 crew opportunities and generated an economic boost to London of £2.6bn. The Mayor also sponsors a gala event at the London Film Festival to promote the capital as a world city for film. https://filmlondon.org.uk/what-we-do/impact
Further information can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/arts-and-culture/current-culture-projects/creative-economy-growth-programme