FASHION CROSSOVER LONDON ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH GRADUATE FASHION WEEK

2020 marks both a new decade and new adventures and Fashion Crossover London is proud to announce they are the official partner of Graduate Fashion Week and the Graduate Fashion Foundation. Graduate Fashion Designers have become synonymous to both the Graduate Fashion Week and Fashion Crossover London’s Graduate Talent Programme. With both entities striving for a bigger platform and the widespread support of graduate talent, a collaboration between both could not come less as a surprise.

For the past 28 years, the Graduate Fashion Foundation has been supporting new talent and bridging the gap between graduation and employment through events and the esteemed Graduate Fashion Week beginning June. For many aspiring graduates, a highlight of their graduate career. Graduate Fashion Talent is a growing force, and to be reckoned with. Christening their 25th anniversary was the appointment of Christopher Bailey MBE (the winner of the first-ever Gold Award), Victoria Beckham OBE, Nick Knight OBE and Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE RDI as the first Lifetime Patrons. Three years later, internationally acclaimed designer Diane Von Furstenberg and businesswoman Nadja Swarovski joined, and last year the Dame Zandra Rhodes DBE RDI joined as the seventh Lifetime Patron. The list doesn’t stop here, Graduate Fashion Week and the Graduate Fashion Foundation enjoys the support of Global Ambassadors such as Richard Quinn, Henry Holland, Dr Pam Hogg, Christopher Raeburn and many more. Earlier this year none other than Hilary Alexander OBE was appointed as the new president.

The match with Fashion Crossover London is a no-brainer as we seek to give fresh graduates, a platform, place, and showroom helping further develop the graduate collection post-GFW wildness. Where the GFF offers a platform for young grads to present their collection in a catwalk show, Fashion Crossover London offers services that ensure a lasting promotion of their collection through a strong online presence as well as extraordinary press opportunities.

In an interview with Graduate Fashion Week, our Founder Since Wang disclosed, "Growing up in China, the fashion industry was very secluded. I had to go to the underground market just to get my hands on a fashion magazine. I moved to London to pursue my studies at Central Saint Martins, but upon graduation, I just like many others fell into the arms of the ruthless fashion industry without any support. With Fashion Crossover London, I wanted to bridge the gap between East and West, as well as create a hub for the most innovative designers. "

"With Fashion Crossover London, I wanted to bridge the gap between East and West, as well as create a hub for the most innovative designers."

With our Graduate Talent Programme, launched in 2015, we aim to offer a support network for young designers who are seeking to follow through a career in fashion with their graduate collection. Fashion Crossover London promotes graduate designers and their collections to our extensive contact of stylists, magazine editors, social media influencers and buyers in order to help them gain media exposure, press coverage and commercial sales opportunities. After the internal screening, we provide the successful applicants with our complimentary Flagship Online Showcase Service, with two optional add on features to sell their garments and have their piece represented in our physical press showroom.

"We aim to offer a support network for young designers who are seeking to follow through a career in fashion with their graduate collection with our Graduate Talent Programme"

Fast forward to 2020, and our platform is 500 designers richer with award-winning graduates coming from world-leading universities and bursting with new talent. We saw Swarovski Sustainability Swarovski Sustainable Accessories Award by Graduate Fashion Week 2018 winner Plaire Chaiphet’s dress steal the limelight in Ed Sheeran’s Antisocial music video, featuring Travis Scott, while the 2019 Dame Vivienne Westwood Sustainability award-winning designer Aurélie Fontan went on to win the Ones To Watch show alongside being featured in Vogue.

Central Saint Martin’s alumni Vincent Lapp had his graduate collection featured in W Magazine, shot by the legendary Tim Walker before winning the One’s To Watch runway show and debuting his AV collection.

Meanwhile, London College of Fashion alumni Alice Pons went on to steal the hearts of celebrities across the globe dressing Alice Pons, Brooke Candy, Little Mix, Charli XCX, Mabel, Jorja Smith and many more in her exquisite hand-made corsets, while Royal College of Art alumna, Lili Zhao made name for herself appearing in renowned publications not limited to Vogue, ELLE and Kingston alumni Sebastian Nissl was part of pop-culture history, having the Pussycat Dolls wear one of his designs.

From creating your brand to being worn by the world’s most famous, the Graduate Talent Programme is the answer for any fashion graduate who wants to get their name and work out in the industry and this year we are proud to announce not one but two partnerships, this time with publishing company Hearst. For the very first time, Fashion Crossover London will be handpicking 15 of their most promising designers to be part of the Young Talent Issue in thé fashion issue Harper's Bazaar UK issue. Offering the very best of this year's cohort to be recognised in one of the biggest fashion publications worldwide!

Applications for our Graduate Talent Programme 2020 are open now, click here to apply.

Words by Lupe Baeyens