Fashion East announces line-up for 25th anniversary

Talent incubator Fashion East, led by Lulu Kennedy, which has kick-started the careers of designers such as Kim Jones, JW Anderson, and Roksanda, is celebrating its 25th anniversary during this season of London Fashion Week.

To mark its landmark milestone, Fashion East will be creating a London Fashion Week Hub, in partnership with Dazed and Nike, at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, including a retrospective exhibition, panel talks open to the public, and film screenings, designed to engage students, fashion enthusiasts and the wider creative community.

At the heart of the celebrations is a ‘Us Lot: 25 Years of Fashion East, powered by Nike’ exhibition, which will be open to the public from September 20 to 21 in the ICA’s lower gallery.

The retrospective exhibit is curated by Lulu Kennedy and Raphaelle Moore alongside creative consultant Patrick Waugh, to showcase an intimate look back at the history of the incubator, featuring special commissions and sculptures from Simone Rocha, Craig Green and Richard Malone, special artworks from Jawara Alleyne and Claire Barrow, iconic fashion photography of alumni by among others, Wolfgang Tillmans, Joyce NG, Jamie Hawkesworth plus previously unseen imagery from Fashion East’s vaults.

Fashion East to host public events to celebrate 25 years of supporting emerging fashion talent

The exhibition sits alongside a public programme within the ICA, curated in collaboration with Dazed and Nowness, including a panel talk chaired by Dazed’s fashion features director Emma Davidson, featuring Fashion East alumni Karoline Vitto, A Sai Ta, and Olly Shinder sharing their journeys into fashion and memorable moments from their debut LFW shows.

There will also be two fashion film screenings, which explore the dynamic relationship between movement and fashion, as well as offer intimate portraits of fashion’s most visionary creators, including Simone Rocha and Jonathan Anderson.

In addition, Fashion East will also present its spring/summer 2026 catwalk showcase, featuring a trio of emerging designers, as well as hosting catwalk shows for alumni Jawara Alleyne and Ashley Williams, continuing to support the next generation of talent.

Fashion East announces spring/summer 2026 designer line-up

The SS26 line-up will include Barcelona-born designer and recent Central Saint Martins MA graduate, Jacek Gleba, making his Fashion East debut, alongside fellow newcomer Mayhew, the eponymous label by UK-based designer Louis Mayhew, styled in collaboration with longtime creative partner Lara McGrath.

They will showcase alongside Nuba, the label by Central Saint Martins graduate Cameron Williams, who is returning to the Fashion East line-up for the third season.

Commenting on the anniversary plans, Kennedy and Moore said in a statement: “It is a huge honour to be collaborating with the incredible Institute of Contemporary Arts and see all of our ideas come to life. This is an extra special season for us, and we’ve had a lot of fun digging through the archives. We couldn’t be more proud of our alumni and their visionary work.

“We’re delighted with this season’s line up, they’re refined, radical and real - we can’t wait for you to see their collections.”

Since 2000, Fashion East has launched the UK’s brightest fashion talent, including Simone Rocha, Maximilian Davis, Nensi Dojaka, Martine Rose, Liam Hodges, Wales Bonner, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Craig Green, Per Gotesson, Ashley Williams, Marques Almedia, Matty Bovan, Mowalola, Asai, Knwls, Stefan Cooke, Supriya Lele, and Chet Lo.