LFW Special - Top 10 Fashion Fairy Godmothers and Godfathers
As London Fashion Week kicks off , we take a look at 10 movers and shakers that can turn fashion nobodies into the next big thing.
2011-02-18 06:25:00
By Julia Robson
Lulu Kennedy
Long before East London had become a trendy destination, a woman called Lulu Kennedy was busy putting Brick Lane on the map. In 1996, with a wave of her fashion fairy godmother wand she fixed it so Giles Deacon, Hussein Chalayan, Preen and House of Jazz could not so much go to the ball as have a funky location for their fashion shows (and post-show parties). Working in a creative capacity alongside the Truman Brewery art space made Lulu realize how many talented designers needed help with funding and show production. So, in 2000, she founded Fashion East, a non-profit initiative designed to help nurture young designers past the often tricky limbo period post-graduation. Having coaxed industry giants like Topshop and The London Development Agency to part with cash for sponsorship, Lulu then miraculously elbowed her way onto the tighter-than-tight schedule of London Fashion Week. Today, besides the final show taking place across town in the West End, the formula remains unchanged. Three designers are chosen by Kennedy and an expert panel and mentored in all aspects of design and marketing. The end of the Fashion East journey is the catwalk show. This has provided a springboard for the likes of Richard Nicoll, Louise Gray, House of Holland, Holly Fulton, Jonathan Saunders, House of Holland, Gareth Pugh, Marios Schwab, Louise Goldin, Roksanda Ilincic and Meadham Kirchhoff. Let’s just say Anna Wintour is a fan. Check out Lulu’s blog and you’ll see why she is the fairest fashion fairy godmother of them all.
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