Join us for 'Beyond the Runway: Income Generation for Fashion Designers', an evening panel discussion, Q&A and networking event exploring the practical realities of making money and building a sustainable career in fashion.
From developing different income streams and taking your brand to market, to understanding the opportunities, support and networks available, the evening is designed to help emerging designers think beyond the next collection or fashion show and consider the wider journey towards a sustainable creative career.
The conversation will explore:
- Moving from showcasing to selling
- Different ways fashion designers can generate income
- Understanding your customer and routes to market
- Bespoke, ready-to-wear and adapting your business model
- Business planning, finance and funding
- Marketing and positioning your brand
- Common challenges facing emerging designers
- Where to find business support and guidance
There will also be an opportunity to ask questions directly to the panel and network with speakers, designers, students and other members of the creative community.
Places are limited, so advance registration is recommended.
About Cultural Fashion & Arts
Cultural Fashion & Arts CIC creates platforms that connect fashion, culture, heritage and community. Having worked with creatives from diverse backgrounds through fashion showcases, cultural programmes and creative experiences, we are increasingly focused on supporting what comes next – helping our creative community access knowledge, networks and pathways that can contribute to sustainable careers.
About the panel
Michael Burgess - Moderator
Michael Burgess is a cultural producer, curator, entrepreneur, events strategist and former senior diplomat whose work sits at the intersection of African and African Diasporic creativity, culture, art and fashion. His career has included senior roles and collaborations with the British Council, Royal African Society, The Africa Centre, UNESCO, Tate, the V&A and Africa Fashion Week London & Nigeria.
Michael is also Founder and Director of Creative Resilience International, a social enterprise supporting creatives from Black and underrepresented communities.
His extensive experience across fashion, cultural programming and international partnerships brings a valuable perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing creatives as they build sustainable careers.
Alison Lewy
Alison Lewy MBE is a fashion industry expert, entrepreneur, author and Founder of Fashion Angel, which provides specialist business support to fashion entrepreneurs.
Before establishing Fashion Angel in 2012, Alison ran her own fashion label for more than 15 years and worked in product development and manufacturing with designers including Matthew Williamson and Preen, before going on to be Commercial Director of the Fashion & Textile Museum in London.
She is the author of Design Create Sell – A Guide to Starting and Running a Successful Fashion Business and regularly mentors and trains emerging fashion founders. Awarded an MBE for services to the fashion industry, Alison brings extensive practical knowledge of business planning, financial control, funding and what it takes to move a creative idea towards a commercially sustainable fashion business.
Jatin Patel
Jatin Patel is a British fashion designer and creative director of South Asian heritage, and the founder of Kalikas Armour, An independent British atelier based in Medway, Kent.
Through Kalikas Armour, Jatin creates bespoke and made-to-measure private commissions, limited pieces and special projects. Drawing on demi-couture disciplines including sculptural construction, corsetry, precision cutting and hand-finished detail, his work is developed around the individual and made in England.
With more than 25 years' industry experience, Jatin's career has spanned Designer, high-street fashion, ready-to-wear, wholesale, commercial production, garment construction, private commissions and creative enterprise.
His fashion work has been presented during London Fashion Week in partnership with Fashion for Conservation, at Prêt-à-Porter Paris, F3F Inclusive Tech summit, Orland USA and through Couture Melange at Cultural Style Week.
Jatin joins Beyond the Runway to share the realities of building and sustaining an independent fashion business over time.
He will share the evolution of Kalikas Armour from an established bespoke and made-to-measure practice towards a limited ready-to-wear collection, offering an honest perspective on adapting a creative business, responding to change and finding new routes to market.
Rae Jones
Rae (Rachel) Jones is a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for Fashion Marketing and Promotion at the University of Westminster.
An entrepreneur herself, Rae's expertise spans entrepreneurship, trend forecasting, consumer behaviour and fashion business.
A footwear and accessories designer, she has worked as a trend forecaster and consultant with leading trend agencies and has developed several businesses across different sectors. Rae has taught at universities across the UK.
Her combination of academic, entrepreneurial and industry experience brings an important perspective to Beyond the Runway: connecting creative ideas with an understanding of customers, markets, promotion and the commercial realities of building a career in fashion.
Candy-Ellie Graham
Candy-Ellie Graham is the award winning Founder and Creative Director of Cultural Fashion & Arts CIC and the creator of Cultural Style Week, Cultural Heritage Month and the forthcoming British Heritage Week.
Her work brings together fashion, culture, heritage and community engagement, creating platforms for emerging creatives and culturally diverse voices.
Through Cultural Fashion & Arts, Candy has produced fashion showcases, cultural programmes and creative experiences while increasingly focusing on what happens beyond participation: how emerging creatives turn visibility and talent into sustainable opportunities.
Alongside her creative work, she has a professional background in production, marketing and communications.
Beyond the Runway grew directly from her experiences working with emerging designers and seeing the need for greater understanding of the business behind fashion.