The Fashion Foundry has been an incubator for the Scottish fashion and textile scene since opening its doors in 2012. The talent centre was designed to support creative and commercial development in the Scottish fashion industry and provides commercial support for Scottish fashion and accessory designers.
Scotland’s world-renowned Art and Design schools have been cultivating fashion designers who continue to impress on the global stage, working at some of the largest fashion companies, retailers and manufacturers. London, Paris, New York, and Milan, the traditional hubs of fashion. But, owing to the rise of online shopping and the Instagram runway, the customer base is becoming increasingly global, and so individuals have more freedom to start up on their own elsewhere, and the Fashion Foundry is part of the reason why Scotland is a good choice for talented designers to enter the market.
According to their website, the Fashion Foundry has supported the development of 21 brands through five other well-known designers in their Emerging Designer studio residency programme and their Changing Gear programme.
As part of the programmes, emerging designers are paired with creative mentors and coaches to help provide tailored support programmes that give designers time, space and industry expertise to grow their brand and build their business.
Nadia Studio, Hayley McSporran and Rosella May, graduates of the programme this year showcased their work in an exhibition and screening curated by Clubhouse Paradiso on 25 April.