Celebrating 35 years
“The event started with just ten Fashion and two Fashion Marketing programmes, including Northumbria, and has grown considerably to become the world’s biggest showcase of BA Fashion talent, attracting global attention and participation from industry, including Ralph Lauren, Gap Inc. and LVMH.”
Founded in 1991 by Jeff Banks CBE, Vanessa Denza MBE, and John Walford, Graduate Fashion Foundation was established with a singular mission: to unify UK and international universities and create a pipeline for the creative industries to find the best emerging talent. Over 35 years, that mission has remained constant while its reach has grown significantly. To date, the Foundation has supported over 150,000 newly graduated and undergraduate students, providing them with the visibility, connections, and industry access needed to turn creative education into sustainable careers.
The Foundation has played a significant role in launching the careers of some of the most celebrated names in British fashion, including Christopher Bailey MBE, winner of the very first Gold Award and now a Lifetime Patron of the charity, alongside Stella McCartney, Hussein Chalayan, Ashish Gupta, Clare Waight Keller, Louise Trotter, Giles Deacon, Matthew Williamson, and Julien MacDonald.
“The future of the fashion industry looks mighty bright”
School & Colleges Day 2025
Year round, the Foundation delivers mentorship programmes, accelerators, live industry briefs, brand partner competitions, showrooms, seminars, and masterclasses, working with leading brands and institutions across the UK. Discover our impact, heritage and archive through this exhibition, from introducing new disciplines to pivoting to digital during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foundation remains as committed to leading the fashion industry in new ideas, fresh energy and world class talent, as it was in 1991.
