CFE offers new free studios and support in East London for emerging talent

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jul 8, 2019

The Centre for Fashion Enterprise (CFE) has linked up with Housing and Regeneration Community Association Poplar HARCA to create eight brand new solo and shared studio spaces that will be available rent-free for emerging small and medium-sized fashion and fashion tech businesses from this autumn.

CFE is a London-based fashion/fashion tech business incubator and is part of the London College of Fashion (LCF) that is itself part of the University of the Arts London (UAL).

Businesses can now apply for one of the studios that are within Poplar Works, a new development in East London that’s due for completion in September.

The applicants have to be UAL graduates, and/or previously supported or currently supported by CFE. They must operate in the UK, have been operating for at least six months, and should be “developing innovative business models with potential to re-think the fashion system “.

Poplar Works is part of Fashion District, an East London partnership that's working to boost the place of London as a leader in fashion technology. CFE said that over 30% of London’s fashion SMEs are based in East London and over the last 15 years it has supported many of them.

East London in general has been raising its profile on the fashion front for several years with the area also key for retail and a variety of other creative industries. And in 2022, LCF’s six sites across London will combine in a purpose-built new space as part of East Bank, a cultural and educational development on London’s Olympic Park. 

Back with the Poplar Works development, what will the successful applicant actually get? Up to two years free studio space, plus business support, executive coaching sessions from CFE’s community of accredited coaches, membership of a new community of SME fashion and fashion tech businesses, access to UAL libraries, wifi, and even furnished spaces in some of the studios.

Applicants need to apply by July 28 and must complete an application form.