Each season the Fashion East womenswear scheme offers three designers the opportunity to present a collection to international press & buyers on schedule at London Fashion Week. Designers also receive business mentoring, financial sponsorship & inclusion in a top Paris sales showroom. Womenswear designers are selected by Lulu Kennedy and a panel of womenswear industry people including: Brix Smith-Start', Charlie Harrington ', Charlie Porter '', Francesca Burns ', Kay Barron ', Lauren Cochrane ', Mandi Lennard ', Richard Sloan' and Sarah Mower '. Topshop has been the headline sponsor of Fashion East’s womenswear scheme since 2003. Fashion East also receives funding from the Greater London Authority.
Fashion East & Topman’s MAN
In September 2005 the team behind Fashion East launched ‘MAN’ in partnership with Topman. The joint initiative is an identical support scheme for three emerging menswear designers to showcase their work via a group catwalk show at London Collections Men. This was the first menswear scheme of its kind. Starting with a place on London’s womenswear schedule, by September 2009 MAN began London’s first menswear day of shows and is now credited with the launch of London Collections Men in June 2012. "MAN is still burning the torch for all that's new and creative in British menswear design. Its heartbeat pumps the vital fresh blood into Menswear day- without MAN Menswear day would not exist!" Gordon Richardson, Design Director at Topman. Menswear designers are selected by Lulu Kennedy and a panel of menswear industry people including: Andrew Davis', Ben Reardon ', Charlie Porter ', Gordon Richardson ', Luke Day', Sam Lobban ' and Tim Blanks .
Fashion East Men’s Presentations
In February 2009 Fashion East introduced their Fashion East Men’s Presentations as an accompaniment to the MAN show for London Fashion Week's first menswear showcase. The first London menswear showcase was co-curated by Fashion East’s founder & director Lulu Kennedy with the British Fashion Council. The showcase spearheaded London Fashion Week's first menswear day in September 2009 and in June 2012, MAN, Fashion East and Lulu Kennedy were credited as the catalyst in the launch of London Collections Men. Fashion East Men’s Presentations gives additional menswear designers a platform to present their collections in a group exhibition at London Collections Men. "It can never be repeated enough: when Lulu Kennedy and Topman’s MAN initiative began in 2005, there was no such thing as London men’s shows. They started the ball rolling. Without them, London Collections: Men would not exist." Charlie Porter, Men's Fashion Critic at Financial Times.
