New programme to inspire young fashion designers across the capital

• City Hall and the London College of Fashion, UAL unite to encourage the next generation of designers, entrepreneurs and technologists
• ‘Fashion London’ is the latest addition to the Mayor’s London Curriculum

City Hall and London College of Fashion, UAL have joined forces to produce new classroom resources that give young Londoners insight and opportunities into the fashion industry.

Launched following London Fashion Week, the new ‘Fashion London’ Key Stage 3 resources have been developed with art and design teachers to give students a taste of the range of jobs available in the fashion industry. The aim is to encourage the next generation of designers and entrepreneurs, and help improve diversity in the industry.

The resources are a new addition to the Mayor’s London Curriculum, a programme of events and resources for teachers that take inspiration from the capital’s people, places and history.

Fashion London features lesson plans that take students through the complete design process, from brand concept to product manufacture and retail. Teachers will be able to attend free training sessions at London College of Fashion to get guidance on how to use the resource and 300 students at the East Education Summer School 2020 will get to experience a bespoke workshop.

The fashion industry contributes £32bn to the UK economy and this resource is the latest in a series of work from City Hall to support the industry. This includes delivering East Bank, a new powerhouse of culture, education, innovation and growth being built on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, launching the Fashion District, a world-leading hub for fashion technology, in east London, supporting artist workspaces, and developing Creative Enterprise Zones to specifically support artists across the capital.

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries said: “London is an global fashion capital and it’s really important that we give the next generation the chance to pursue a career in the industry. Starting in schools is a great way to give young people a taste of what’s on offer and to encourage them to take their first steps towards a successful career. This is a growing industry worth £32 billion a year to the economy, with 890,000 jobs and so I’m delighted that we have developed this fantastic resource to open up this great industry to young Londoners and help make it more representative of our city.”

Jessica Saunders, Programme Director for Fashion at London College of Fashion, UAL said: “As a global leader in fashion education, we know how valuable young people find the skills that they gain from creative learning such as enterprise and problem-solving, and how sought-after these skills are in industry. These resources are designed to nurture this creativity in young people and to create in-roads into fashion as a career option, as a growing industry making a significant contribution to the global economy. We will provide help and guidance to teachers on how to make these resources a real asset to the classroom.”