By PAGE Editor

JCA | London Fashion Academy announces a partnership with Lone Design Club, RCGD Global (Red Carpet Green Dress), and Graduate Fashion Foundation for its newly launched, scholarship-supported, Sustainability-focused MA Course in Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation. Supported by Vogue Italia, the unique program seeks to identify, curate and launch the very best sustainable designer-entrepreneurs from across the UK.

JCA | London Fashion Academy sets itself apart from other educational institutions by offering higher education with practice-based learning, London Fashion Week shows, and retail opportunities as its core. The JCA is determined to create the next wave of fashion designers by consciously supporting their businesses from the day they arrive at the Academy. With its stellar line-up of partners, today the JCA launches the world's first Sustainability Launchpad and Design Entrepreneurship Capsule.  

Leveraging the success of its MA Design Entrepreneurship program that launched a number of exciting new designers, the JCA has created a scholarship to help kick start the Launchpad. Supported by media champion Vogue Italia and in partnership with Graduation Fashion Foundation, sustainability organization RCGD Global, founded by environmentalist Suzy Amis Cameron, and the UK’s fastest growing retail pop-up specialist, supporting sustainable and independent brands: Lone Design Club.

With government funding for UK applicants, funding for global scholarships, and the resources made available through the partnership, the program is seeking to attract the very best sustainable design talent that will be supported to develop a commercially viable brand, create and manufacture its first collection, be launched at London Fashion Week and be immediately available for purchase at Lone Design Club.

With a clear focus on sustainable materials, business models, and creative practice, the debut eco-conscious  MA program has sustainable design and enterprise creation as its distinctive central feature. Through this program, learners (designated by the JCA as designer-entrepreneurs) will identify and develop their brand, by making their founding collection. Crucially the program will purposefully embrace an eclectic mix of design paths, whether that be men's, women's, unisex, or indeed fine tailoring, red carpet couture, street, bridal, lingerie, accessories, or footwear.

The JCA’s scholarship partners, each an expert within their respective fields, will support this select group of designer-entrepreneurs in their early development and give them the very best pathway to success. Meet the coalition of partners coming together below to give this unique group of designer-entrepreneurs the very best start to their professional careers:

JCA | London Fashion Academy: Education Partner

The JCA opened its doors in Mayfair in September 2021 and quickly became regarded as ‘revolutionary’ by government ministers and ‘design trailblazers’ by industry commentators, the Academy has been built with one sole purpose: to support and accelerate emerging designer entrepreneurs in the ultra-competitive world of fashion. To do so, the school tailors the learning of each individual to the discipline they are interested in rather than offering a homogenous curriculum to a large number of students. In November 2022, the JCA opened a second campus located in the heart of West London. Boston Manor House is dedicated to unearthing and sculpting the next generation of craft pioneers.  Designer-entrepreneurs on the Sustainability-focused MA Course in Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation will be based at the JCA and have access to its unrivaled design facilities. 

Lone Design Club: Retail Partner

Lone Design Club (LDC) is a retail concept founded by Rebecca Morter in May 2018 that brings together emerging ethical and independent fashion and lifestyle brands to shape the future of retail through immersive and agile pop-up experiences. As a champion of sustainable design, LDC provides designer entrepreneurs with a platform to showcase their collections in prime retail locations and connect with customers who share their values. In keeping with its mission, LDC is proud to be the official stockist of the debut collections of all sustainable designer-entrepreneurs from the MA Course in Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation (2023/24). The collections will be featured in a pop-up store timed to coincide with the graduating class's London Fashion Week show in September 2023.

RCGD Global: Thought Leadership Partner

RCGD Global is a women-led global change-making organization working from ‘moment’ to movement, bringing global cultural sustainability to the forefront of conversation and action within the fashion and design world. Under the leadership of CEO Samata Pattinson, RCGD Global will provide thought leadership, and its community will deliver workshops on sustainable design to the 2023/24 cohort of  MA Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation learners for their sustainability capsule collection.

The JCA  launched its inaugural MA cohort during London Fashion Week, in September 2022. Achievements within 6 months of launch include editorial coverage for every designer across international and local markets; front page magazine covers for two designers; introduction of one designer’s work to Her Majesty the Queen Consort; Best New Designer at the Northern Fashion Awards; tour commissioning by a globally-renowned musician; nomination for a national magazine Student Footwear of the Year award. The JCA aims to emulate and exceed these successes with its 23/24 cohort of Sustainability-focused designer-entrepreneurs, working with its highly regarded partners to provide opportunities that go above and beyond any which an MA program has previously offered. 

Besides helping more designer-entrepreneurs get the education and support to become successful entrepreneurs, the scholarship will open doors by providing finance and professionally ‘incubating’ the aspiring designers. All designer-entrepreneurs will establish themselves as freelancers or micro-SMEs in their first term at the JCA and will be encouraged to be commercially enterprising from the outset.  

Recruitment for the course will be based on academic and creative potential assessed through prior qualifications, portfolio, and academic interviews. A shortlist of designer-entrepreneurs will be judged and the scholarships awarded by a panel comprising  Stephen Smith - JCA CEO, Ha Smith - JCA Director of Incubation, Mark Eley - JCA MA Course Leader,  Samata Pattinson - RCGD Global CEO, Rebecca Morter - Founder and CEO of Lone Design Club, Lois Clark, Co-Founder and Managing Director of In+Addition Communications, and Sara Maino, Vogue Italia Talents Lead.

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