Friday 14 July
10:30 – 13:00
The Studio

Fashion District and The Trampery Present: Fashion Circle, an event series for fashion businesses to learn and develop their network.

Fashion Circle returns with an exclusive event for the Fashion District Festival. Join The Trampery and Fashion District for an engaging industry brunch, featuring two insightful panel discussions on the future of preloved fashion in alternative business models and the luxury market. Connect with fellow designers, makers, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals during our speed networking session, where doors to future opportunities, collaborations, and partnerships will open.

Agenda

Up-designing: Upcycling for the Luxury Market (10:30 – 11:15)

Speed Networking (11:15 – 11:45)

Falling in Love With Preloved (11:45 – 12:30)

Casual Networking (12:30 – 13:00)

The Trampery
The Trampery is a purpose-driven enterprise committed to harnessing the power of business for positive social impact. With a focus on providing workspaces, venues, and training, they actively work towards their mission. Since 2015, The Trampery has been a dedicated supporter of the fashion sector, initially through its renowned London Fields workspace and more recently through The Trampery Fish Island Village and Poplar Works. These innovative spaces offer a state-of-the-art campus, spanning 70,000 square feet, designed to cater to the needs of start-up and scale-up fashion businesses. The facilities include affordable workspaces, co-working areas, manufacturing capabilities, and showcasing opportunities.

Helen Kirkum
Helen Kirkum is a London-based artist and designer. Kirkum’s artisanship has garnered international acclaim and it is her ability to tell stories through her designs that sets her work apart. Each pair of sneakers she makes is unique, weaving together the memories of the components that make it and allowing the owner to own something inherently personal and one-of-a-kind. She is widely considered a pioneer of the hacked and deconstructed aesthetic within the sneaker industry, and in the vanguard of the sustainable footwear movement. In 2019, Helen founded Helen Kirkum Studio.

Patrick McDowell
Patrick McDowell is an independent brand based in the heart of London. Founded in 2018 by designer Patrick McDowell, the brand has solidified itself as a leading voice on the global fashion stage that embodies the designer’s mission for reinventing luxury through a sustainable mindset. Patrick McDowell is available made to order and limited edition and works holistically to embed sustainability across the business. The three founding pillars ground all the work they do: support people and the planet, uplift the queer community, and nurture creative education.

Lydia Bolton
Lydia Bolton is a sustainability creator and slow fashion designer who founded her namesake brand in 2019. An anti-landfill advocate, she meticulously works with sleeping stock, deadstock fabrics and thrifted pieces to create luxury womenswear apparel and homeware that doesn’t cost the earth. While she has been sharing her projects online, educating her community about sustainable issues, she has also developed in-person upcycling workshops to empower more people with the skills to tackle textile waste and prevent garments from going to landfill. She has collaborated with brands like Nike, Manchester United, adidas, Channel 4, Atelier100 and Woolmark and was shortlisted for ‘Brand of the Year’ at Draper’s Sustainable Fashion Awards.

Fanfare Label
Fanfare Label is an independent sustainable fashion house that champions circularity and positive change. Founded by Esther Knight, a former fashion buyer, the brand challenges the industry’s profit-driven approach and instead focuses on transforming the way garments are made, bought, and consumed. Recognised by Forbes, Drapers, The Guardian, and Stylist, Fanfare embodies a circular fashion brand promoting sustainability and ethical practices. With a commitment to real change, Fanfare gives existing garments new life while supporting important causes, offering fashion without compromise.

Katie Baron
Katie Baron is an experienced trend forecaster, strategist, and author who serves as the Content Director at Stylus, a leading trends and insights firm. In her role, she leads the Brand Engagement divisions, driving trends analysis, brand strategy, and horizon-scoping work in Retail & Brand Comms and Pop Culture & Media. Katie’s expertise lies in identifying new opportunities, navigating the present, and reimagining the future. With a background in brand agencies and companies like Liberty and Yellowdoor, she is a senior contributor to Forbes and has authored two books on visual culture. As an inaugural member of the London College of Fashion’s digital anthropology lab, she frequently speaks at industry events and uses her articles to amplify deserving voices, stories, ideas, and businesses.

The Cirkel
The Cirkel is an online sustainable resale platform for womenswear that launched in May 2022. It offers a hassle-free selling service alongside a diverse selection of over 600+ designer and high-end pre-loved items, catering to a wide range of styles. The platform’s ‘Cirkel Back’ feature promotes circularity and sustainability by allowing customers to return clothes within six months for store vouchers, enabling them to refresh their wardrobe sustainably.

or collective
or collective offers a stylish rental subscription exclusively for children, providing a sustainable and budget-friendly alternative. With a carefully curated selection of current season stock from top brands like Bobo Choses, The Simple Folk, and Claude & Co, you can effortlessly rent, wear, and rotate fashionable outfits for your little ones.

Shan Mandora
Shan is the Commercial Director at Zoa, the UK’s only integrated rental plug-in which offers customers rental options directly on their websites. With expertise in property management and CEO advisory, he leads the company’s commercial and operational strategy. Previously, Shan built and led operations at Plentific and worked as a strategy consultant for Teneo. Zoa seamlessly integrates with e-commerce platforms and operations partners, allowing brands to effortlessly provide rental options. Successful implementations by clients such as French Connection and Yolke have attracted a significant number of new customers to their rental services. Zoa is developed by the team behind Hirestreet, the renowned fashion rental marketplace in the UK.