GFW Live! Whats On?
GFW Live! Returns for Graduate Fashion Week 2026. It is a packed schedule of 16 panel talks and fireside chats around the fashion industry and how you can enhance your career. Featuring guests such as Emma Hill - Founder of Damson Madder, Funmi Fetto - Style Editor at British Vogue, Carmen Martínez Ferrer- Senior Data Analyst at FARFETCH, and more.
Thriving Against The Odds. In Conversation With: Samuel Ross - 11am-12pm
A conversation with British-Caribbean designer, artist and entrepreneur Samuel Ross MBE, whose multidisciplinary practice has redefined the intersection of fashion, industrial design and contemporary culture. Best known as the founder of A-COLD-WALL* and design studio SR_A, Ross has become internationally recognised for bridging luxury fashion, architecture, industrial materials and social commentary through his work.
This conversation will explore his journey from launching and scaling a globally recognised brand to building long-term collaborations with partners including Nike, Apple and LVMH, while reflecting on creativity, resilience and cultural impact.
Guests can expect insight into entrepreneurship, collaboration, innovation and the evolving future of fashion and design from one of the industry’s most influential multidisciplinary voices.
The Fashion Brand Clinic: What Fashion Marketing & Social Media Roles Require From You - 12:15pm-1:15pm
Hosted by Elizabeth Stiles, this panel explores how fashion marketing and social media careers are rapidly evolving in today’s digital landscape. Bringing together perspectives from brand founders, marketers and content strategists, the discussion will unpack what brands are really looking for when hiring emerging talent, how audience-building has transformed modern fashion businesses, and the skills graduates need to stand out in an increasingly competitive industry.
Elizabeth Stiles is a leading fashion business consultant, podcast host and former fashion buyer with experience across brands including Next, Miss Selfridge, Urban Outfitters and New Look. Through The Fashion Brand Clinic podcast, she helps independent fashion businesses grow through strategic marketing, operations and brand development.
Day In the Life: What Buyers and Merchandisers Actually Do. Presented by F&F - 1:30pm-2:30pm
Presented by F&F, this session offers an inside look into two of fashion retail’s most essential career paths: buying and merchandising. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the day-to-day responsibilities behind product selection, trend forecasting, commercial strategy and consumer insight, while hearing directly from industry professionals about the realities, challenges and opportunities within these roles.
It's a man's world: Building a career in luxury fashion, as a female senior leader - 3pm-4pm
Featuring Elodie Bougenault and Yi Ng, this conversation explores the realities of navigating leadership within the global luxury fashion industry as women operating at the highest levels of business. From scaling internationally recognised brands to leading innovation, partnerships and transformation across major fashion houses, the panel will offer valuable insight into leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship and redefining power structures within luxury fashion today.
Meet the speakers:
Elodie Bougenault is Chief Commercial Officer at Manolo Blahnik, where she oversees global commercial strategy and international growth. Across a career spanning more than two decades, she has held senior leadership roles at luxury houses including Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Boucheron and La Perla.
Yi Ng is the Co-Founder and CEO of SR_A and former Co-Founder of A-COLD-WALL*. Recognised for pioneering innovative business models across fashion, design and technology, she has collaborated with global partners including Inditex, Apple, Nike and LVMH.
Breaking The Mould: The New Fashion Career Paths - 4:15pm-5pm
Fashion careers are evolving faster than ever before. This panel spotlights emerging roles that are reshaping the industry, from fashion commentators and digital creators to data analysts and digital fashion specialists. Featuring voices including Chani Ra, the discussion will explore how technology, social media and changing consumer behaviours are creating entirely new opportunities for the next generation of fashion talent.
Meet the speakers: Chani Ra is a fashion commentator and content creator known for her sharp analysis of fashion culture, trends and industry conversations. Through her platform The Fashion Nap, she has built a global audience and contributed commentary across publications and platforms including Vogue, SHOWstudio and Hypebae.
Carmen Martínez Ferrer is a Senior Data Analyst working within the luxury fashion sector and the founder of The Data Fashion Brief, a platform decoding fashion trends, brand performance and industry news through data-led insights. Her work offers a fresh analytical perspective on the future of fashion business.
Ryan Yip is a fashion commentator and founder of Fashion Review. Through his writing and social media platforms, he explores contemporary fashion culture, criticism and the evolving meaning of fashion in today’s digital landscape.
Starting From Scratch: How To Build A Successful Fashion Business from the ground up. In Conversation With: Rokeya Khanum, founder of Khanum’s - 11:15am-12pm
British-Bangladeshi entrepreneur and Creative Director Rokeya Khanum shares her journey of building Khanum's from the ground up into a recognised contemporary womenswear brand known for its elevated made-to-order approach. Raised in East London by Bangladeshi immigrant parents who worked in garment production, Rokeya developed an early understanding of fashion manufacturing, entrepreneurship and the realities of the industry from a young age.
This conversation will explore the realities of launching and scaling a modern fashion business, from manufacturing and social media growth to leadership, resilience and building a brand with purpose. Attendees can expect valuable insight into entrepreneurship, slow fashion, community impact and navigating the challenges of building a business without a traditional support system.
How to run a circular fashion business - 1pm-1:45pm
As circularity becomes increasingly central to the future of fashion, this panel brings together founders and innovators building businesses rooted in reuse, remanufacturing and waste reduction. Exploring both the opportunities and challenges within the circular economy, the discussion will offer practical insight into sustainable business models, material innovation and how brands can rethink production and consumption systems for the future.
Meet the speakers: Genia Mineeva is the founder of BEEN London, an award-winning accessories brand creating products entirely from waste-derived materials. A former BBC journalist, she is also a lecturer and advisor specialising in circular business models and sustainable innovation.
Katherine Soucie is a British-Canadian artist, designer and textile waste researcher specialising in upcycling, remanufacturing and creative reuse. Through her studio practice and research, she explores innovative ways to transform textile waste into fashion, art and material solutions.
The Making of a Campaign: Insight, Craft & Delivery. Presented by F&F - 2:15pm-3:15pm
This session offers an inside look at how fashion campaigns are conceived, developed and delivered at scale. From initial creative insight through to production, styling, storytelling and execution, the panel will break down the full lifecycle of a campaign and the collaborative roles involved. Guests will gain a clearer understanding of how commercial and creative teams work together to bring fashion storytelling to life across multiple channels.
Scaling a fashion business to multimillion pounds in today’s landscape. In Conversation With: Emma Hill, Founder of Damson Madder - 4:15pm-5pm
In this candid conversation, Emma Hill reflects on her journey from fashion industry professional to founder of one of the UK’s fastest-growing contemporary brands. Covering career progression, entrepreneurship, brand-building and sustainable growth, this session will provide valuable insight into what it takes to scale a fashion business in today’s rapidly changing industry landscape.
Emma Hill is the Founder of Damson Madder, a contemporary fashion brand recognised for its community-driven approach and focus on responsible fashion. Prior to launching the brand, she built an extensive career in the fashion industry spanning across 40 years, working with globally recognised retailers and brands.
Do You Have to Present at London Fashion Week to succeed as a fashion designer? In Conversation With Patrick McDowell - 11:15am-12pm
Building Responsible and Ethical Fashion at Scale. Presented by F&F - 1pm-1:45pm
This discussion explores how fashion brands can embed responsibility and ethics into every stage of their business while operating at scale. Covering sourcing, production, supply chain transparency and design decisions, the panel will examine the practical realities of creating more accountable fashion systems. Attendees can expect honest insights into the challenges, trade-offs and innovations shaping a more responsible future for mainstream fashion retail.
Water Waste to Wear: The Future of Recycled Textiles Presented by MAXXAM Textiles and Round Rivers - 2:15pm-3:15pm
In conversation with Rosemary Moore MARCA FRSA, Director of Maxxam Textiles and Peter Hornung, Creator and developer at Round Rivers.
Digital Fashion and How AI Is Reshaping the Fashion Industry - 4:15pm-5pm
From design and forecasting to marketing and supply chains, artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the fashion industry. This panel explores how emerging technologies and digital fashion innovations are reshaping creative processes, consumer experiences and future career opportunities, while also addressing the ethical and cultural questions surrounding AI’s growing influence within fashion.
Featuring guests: Nicholas Betts - Founder and CEO of ZERØTEC, Hal Wattsn- Founder and CEO of UNMADE, Louise Laing - Digital Fashion Designer and Metaverse Consultant & Founder of Phygital Twin, Tulasi Parmar - Founder of Phygital fashion brand TULASI.
Breaking Into Fashion PR & Influencing: Real Advice from Industry Insiders. Presented by F&F - 10am-11am
This session demystifies careers in fashion PR, communications and influencing, offering practical guidance from professionals working across the industry today. From securing your first role to building a personal brand and navigating the evolving media landscape, the panel will share real-world advice on how to stand out and succeed. Attendees will gain insight into what brands are actually looking for in emerging talent and creators.
Finding opportunities in fashion: getting involved as a young person - 11:30am-12:30pm
The GFW Live! Space will host a discussion for the Schools & Colleges Day guests, on how to find opportunities in the fashion industry.
Being An Early Years Founder In The Creative Industries - 1pm-2pm
We welcome The Fashion Accelerator designers, photographers and stylists to GFW Live! to share their experiences with students for Schools & Colleges Day.
The Future of Fashion: What the Next Generation Will Change - 2pm-3pm
As the industry faces growing conversations around sustainability, technology, representation and new consumer behaviours, the next generation of creatives will play a defining role in shaping fashion’s future. This forward-looking discussion explores the ideas, values and innovations emerging talent are bringing into the industry — and what fashion must evolve into over the next decade.
Speakers include: Abbie Morris - Co-founder of Compare Ethics, Rebecca Morter - Founder + CEO Lone Design Club, Victoria Jenkins- Founder of Adaptive platform Unhidden.
Discover the Graduate Fashion Week 2026 schedule.
Media and industry can attend at no cost by registering, and tickets for the catwalk and exhibition, are available now.
