Fashion District announces 2023 festival line-up showcasing sustainable fashion and innovation in East London

The Fashion District Festival is set to make a highly anticipated return for its second iteration at East London venue Spitalfields from Tuesday 11th – Sunday 16th July 2023.

Taking over the vibrant East London destination the six-day festival will offer celebration of fashion, sustainability, innovation, and community. Featuring a diverse range of over 40 events, including pop-ups, swap shops, styling masterclasses, upcycling workshops, and interactive experiences, visitors will have the chance to explore, learn, create, and network with leading conscious brands and digital fashion businesses.

Bringing together fashion enthusiasts, professionals, and customers, this year’s festival covers four themes — WATCH, SHOP, MAKE, and GROW.

The Fashion District Festival, supported by London College of Fashion, UAL, will open on Tuesday 11th July. As part of the WATCH programme, the launch show, curated by Lee Lapthorne from On|Off and AGRO Studio, will introduce some of London’s most promising emerging designers, combining physical and digital installations to create a truly unforgettable experience. The week will see further digital showcases from brands across the world, including The Fabricant and Institute of Digital Fashion.

The SHOP series will feature a collaborative retail pop-up located in a brand-new building at Number 1 Lamb St in Spitalfields – the first event to take place in the light filled, contemporary building designed by Foster + Partners. Featuring emerging and planet-positive designers and start-ups, the brands on show specialise in preloved, swapped, rented, and upcycled fashion, such as Depop, The Alterist, Loanhood, The Cirkel, Verte London, Circular Threads and The Seam.

SHOP events:

• On Friday 14th July, rental app Loanhood will host a ‘Get Ready With Us’ event at the pop-up shop. This gathering invites attendees to explore the diverse offerings, try on pieces available for rent or purchase, and curate your own style.
• On Saturday 15th July, clothes swapping company Verte London will organise two swap shops for children and adults to refresh their wardrobe.
• On Saturday 15th July, charity partner, Give Your Best, will stage a special event, styling up pre-loved outfits gifted by Festival attendees throughout the week. At the Sorting Party volunteers will prepare the outfits for the platform passing on pre-loved ‘Besties’ to migrant families.
• On Saturday 15th July, specialist wardrobe care and repair service The Seam, will host an open house, where visitors can witness the art of garment restoration and submit items for repair or alteration by makers in The Seam’s network.
• On Sunday 16th July, South Asian preloved and rental fashion platform, Circular Threads, will host a day-long event with chance to try-on outfits for the wedding season and join in upcycling workshops.

The MAKE space offers a diverse programme of interactive events and workshops for all ages, encouraging participants to explore sustainability and innovation in fashion via the three Rs: Repair, Reuse, and Recycle.

MAKE talks and workshops:

• Slow-fashion designer Lydia Bolton will offer visitors the chance to partake in a fun workshop, where attendees can learn hand embroidery techniques to breathe new life into old garments.
• On Friday 14th July, upcycled fashion marketplace The Alterist will host workshops by talented designers from their community, including pattern making with Not Far Behind and upcycling reclaimed coffee sacks with Sackito.
• On Saturday 15th July, London College of Fashion, UAL’s sustainable manufacturing enterprise, Making for Change, will host engaging workshops for families and children, including a t-shirt printing and dressmaking for dolls, which will keep the little eco-warriors busy for an entire afternoon.
• On Saturday 15th July, slow fashion brand Revival London will share ways to re-work preloved denim into unique and stylish pieces.

The GROW programme is dedicated to supporting fashion start-ups and SMEs through a series of roundtables, talks, and workshops that delve into the ideas and innovations driving change within the industry, including themes such as the circular economy, regenerative materials, digital fashion, design for the metaverse, early-stage investment and more.

GROW talks and workshops:

• The week will hear from an exciting line-up of speakers including: Fashion (Minority) Report, Innovate UK, UKFT, ReLondon, Fashion Innovation Agency, The Trampery, True., and The WIP.
• Captivate Communications will be running pitching workshops, offering valuable insights and guidance for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs looking to secure funding.
• In collaboration with True Global, the festival will host an investment event featuring a panel discussion with Angels, VCs, and established brands. The interactive session will provide start-ups with an overview of what investors and brands seek and offer valuable tips for success.
• London College of Fashion, UAL’s Fashion Innovation Agency will host a fash-tech meet-up, discussing AI and the most promising and innovative applications in the fashion industry.
• Social enterprise The Trampery will host Fashion Circle, a dynamic event on up-designing featuring the best of the best upcycling designers, including a brunch and speed networking session.

Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District, comments, “We are thrilled to bring back the Fashion District Festival for a second time, and we are delighted to have Spitalfields as our host. With such a vibrant celebration of fashion, sustainability, and innovation awaiting shoppers and attendees, we cannot wait to unveil our full programme of events and experiences which will provide a platform for exploration, creativity and networking within the fashion industry.”

Jason Dervin, Spitalfields Estate Director, says, “We are proud to host the ever-inspiring Fashion District Festival and donate four spaces for the events in our newly created units and basement studio space. Celebrating and supporting multiple sustainable start-ups, emerging talent and brands in this dynamic way sits perfectly alongside our existing retail and F&B operators, and we hope to see everyone at the Festival in Spitalfields this July.”