What is the London Fashion Fund?
The London Fashion Fund is an exciting new project to deliver early stage funding to entrepreneurs working across sectors in fashion. The project brings together different funding streams with the ambitions of making early stage funding easier to access by start-up and spin out business.
Announcement
The London Fashion Fund is now OPEN for applications.
Round 4: closing date for applications 31st January 2020.
First send an expression of interest to register yourselves on our database to: enquiries@londonfashionfund.co.uk
This will briefly clarify (no more that one side A4) who you are, what your business does, are you solving a problem, team, market , revenues and strategy for investment .
Then, provided you meet our criteria, published on our downloadable FAQ sheet, we will send you an application form. You will send your completed application form to : enquiries@londonfashionfund.co.uk
Please note you must be company registered in UK and be trading already.
London Fashion Fund is the trading name for London Fashion Investments Limited (number 11058780), an investment company funded by a grant from the London Mayor’s office, with the objective of making seed investments in innovative London-based fashion and fashion-tech early-stage businesses.
You can also download LFF FAQ July 2018.
Can you get involved?
Yes do please get in touch with us, we are always looking for new partners, businesses to support, investors, new ideas and new solutions.
Our purpose at a glance
The London Fashion Fund has an experienced team, working in tandem with the Fashion District consortium as it develops the fashion cluster across East London and beyond. We will be an “intervention” fund, designed to drive entrepreneurship across the fashion industry, addressing the funding gap identified between family funds and traditional VC funds. The work of the fund team, with its network of angels and investors, is driven by our deep-rooted belief that the right finance at the right time can accelerate growth potential in the early stage fashion businesses we see in London, to advance innovation & growth, enable a greater adoption of technology while building values of social responsibility into the fashion industry.
Our initial aim is to find and fund a portfolio of entrepreneurial fashion ventures in the next 18 months, some unusual , all forward thinking , who will contribute to the resilience & definition of the fashion industry in London and UK as it shapes-up for the future, potentially encompassing design, innovation, technology , making & manufacturing and new retail .
Why the Fashion Fund?
Many early stage companies struggle to access investment whether it’s to support cash flow, meets orders, for product development or for online marketing. We recognise this urgent need especially with innovative new businesses.
What’s different?
We believe in ethical and responsible capital and we believe passionately in sustainability and driving social change through fashion. We want to see new businesses grow and established businesses thrive.
We want to harness both public and private sector funding to help our companies grow and succeed.
What about communities?
We see this project as helping to support young and innovative pre- valuation businesses grow and support both innovation and employment. We want this project to deliver funding into communities that need support in developing new businesses and opportunities for members of their communities in London.
Are we disrupters?
Yes we see this project embracing the best of fintech and fashion-tec whilst also supporting designers and makers, driving high quality design an embracing the circular economy. We will match the private sector investors with public sector funding 2:1.
What’s our plan?
We are kick starting the London Fashion Fund with seed funding from convertible loans. After launching the fund in May we will open for applications in July and make our first investments in 2019. We plan to grow and working with our partners to provide a range of financial instruments.
Who are we?
We are a group of experienced professionals with expertise in the fashion industry, the university sector, finance and venture capital, innovation, marketing and sustainability working with an FCA regulated fund manager.
What is the future?
We will follow our businesses and seek to provide follow on funding and access to a range of innovation and equity funding streams through partners and platforms and our extensive networks.
We want to support our businesses into export markets and help them to innovate to adapt to a changing world and develop an international footprint.
Have we got partners?
The London Fashion Fund concept depends upon our partners and our collaborative ethos.
We gratefully acknowledge the support we are receiving from:
- The London Mayors Office,
- The London College of Fashion
- The University of the Arts, London
- Poplar Harca
- Dreamstake Capital
- The Trampery
- Funding London
- Turquoise International
- The Fashion District
- Cocoon Networks
- Wolf and Badger
Core team
Prof Yu Xiong Bsc PhD
Professor Yu Xiong is the Chair of Technology and Operations Management in Newcastle Business School of Northumbria University, during this appointment, he took other responsibilities including co-Director of North East Innovation Observatory (Led by North East Local Economic Partnership), Director of Enterprise Engagement etc. He has a PhD degree in Computing Engineering and BSc degree in Computer Science. His research focuses on technology innovation and supply chain strategies in global context.
Jane Shepherdson CBE
Director
2016 - Present Took a gap year and travelled down the west coast of the USA. P/T writer, podcaster, consultant, advisor to various charities and emerging fashion brands. 2008 - Sept 2016 CEO and co owner Whistles. Led a management buy in to Whistles in 2008 with an ex Topshop management team. Repositioned and revitalised the brand to give it relevance and credibility in the contemporary fashion sector. Initiated global growth in FE, US, and Middle East.
1998 - 2007 Brand Director, Topshop. Responsible for transforming the Topshop brand from a high st teen store into the best known Global Fashion Brand, and oversaw profit increase from £10m to £100m. Built strong credible design teams and collaborations, and sponsored New Gen to nurture a new generation of UK talent. 1985 - 1998 Buyer through to Buying Director Topshop.
Helen Newman
Director
Helen is a partner in the Intellectual Property Team at CMS London. Helen is well known for advising on all issues relating to brands. With experience of acting for high profile brands from FMCG to cartoon characters, Helen works with clients in the fashion and luxury goods market. Helen's strategic approach to developing and protecting brands, covering commercial and contentious issues, is well regarded.
Helen' s experience spans complex commercial acquisitions and licensing arrangements to managing cross border litigation relating to trade marks, copyright and design right.
Helen is also an active supporter of the firm's corporate responsibility programme and a member of the pro-bono committee, providing pro-bono legal advice to a number of charities and volunteering on the lawyers in schools programme.
Wendy Hammett MBA FRSA FCSD
Consultant: Fashion Industry Advisor
wendy.hammett@londonfashionfund.co.uk
A designer and strategic fashion industry professional, formerly the Dean of Enterprise Development and Post-Graduate studies at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London where she led Centre for Fashion Enterprise from 2007 to 2017 as Director, the pioneering fashion incubator for London, published research in the small to medium enterprises (SME) fashion sector with European & international partnerships and launched the Fashion Innovation Agency (FIA). She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts & Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers. Wendy chairs the Investment Committee for LFF.
Prof John French PhD MIOD
Advisor: Professor of Sustainability Leadership, Cambridge University