Wednesday 28th November, 5-8pm

Urban Makers Merry Making Christmas Market

Here East, E20 3BS

OlaOla

Saturday 1st December

Made In Camberwell Christmas Arts Market

Butterfly Walk Arcade, SE5 8RW

OlaOla

Sunday 2nd December

 Etsy Made Local Christmas Market

Peckham Copeland Park & Bussey Building SE15 3SN

Peggy Beard

Saturday 8th December, 12-5pm

Solo Craft Fair – Balham Christmas Market

Balham Bowl Club, SW12 8QX

OlaOla

Sunday 9th December 12-7pm

Popchic Xmas Bonanza

Peckham Levels, SE15 4ST

Ola Ola and Peggy Beard

Saturday 15th December

Flea Christmas Market

Flat Iron Square SE1 1RU

Peggy Beard

Wednesday 19th – Saturday 22nd December, 12-7pm

Deptford Does Art Christmas Fair

Deptford Does Art, SE8 4AF

OlaOla

Small but beautiful – inspiring and unique gifts for £15 or less.

One with the Wind but No Direction and Spanish Angel  mugs £10 each or £15 for two (from 1st December 2018) , Lohladay

As you know, a good cuppa and a chat is central to the #teamFAD philosophy.  Spread the warm and cosy vibes by gifting one of  these beautiful mugs, featuring Lohladay’s original paintings.

A5 patterned lined notebooks £4.99 each or 4 for £15, OlaOla

Give the gift of inspiration … We know they’ve got Notes on their iPhone, but  you  need a pen and paper to get the creative process started.  And with a notebook is covered in inspiring patterns like these, they’re sure to come up with a genius idea in no time. They’ll be forever grateful.

It’s Grim up North patch – £10, JOBO

One for all you South Londoners – we know you love it down there on the other side of the river.  Make your point with JOBO’s statement patch.

Brown marble Africa earrings, $15, SPOT

SPOT’s brown marble Africa earrings are laser cut from acrylic sheets, and are currently on sale for just $15.  Ships from U.S.

Lady Fly Brooch, £22.50 £10, Shanel Brown

Perfect for the season of shimmer, you can save £12.50 on Shanel Brown’s unique Lady Fly Brooch, now on sale

Rose Gold Statement Earrings, £6.50, and Vintage Style Gold Drop Earrings, £6.50, Gbemi

Get these bargain earrings for your friend who likes to stand out from the crowd.

We’ve all got one in our life – that person who’s impossible to buy for because they’ve got everything they need.  No longer.  Here’s the perfect gifts that no one else has thought of.

Rwanda Still Stands – Freedom and Palm Springs – Cadillac in Motion fabrics, £25-42 per metre, Box of Prints.

Get yourself a metre or two of Box of Prints’ original printed fabrics, and run them up an exclusive cushion / tote bag / kimono /  suit…  Personal, unique, perfect.

Torto Print Bumbag, £19.99, OlaOla

So they’ve got lots of things?  They’re going to need somewhere to stash them.  OlaOla’’s bumbag is ideal.

Screen Printing for Beginners, £50, Design Me

Maybe they don’t need more things, they need an experience – and who doesn’t love a bit of screenprinting?  On Design ME’s one day course they’ll learn to prepare an artwork, coat and expose a screen, mix colours and create a print.  It could be the start of a whole new chapter in their life.

Broken II Stretched Canvas, various sizes, £27-£95, Lohladay

Give them some tranquillity – one of Lohladay’s abstract canvases will bring the beauty and calm of nature into the most frantic urban existence.  All Lohladay’s canvases come in a range of sizes just right for a Hackney high-rise or a Peckham palace – and everything in between.

Honey Bee Earrings, £35, Shanel Brown

They might have everything, but they haven’t got a pair of earrings handcrafted from brass zips, polished glass, sequins and faux leather (as seen in Tatler), have they?  Nope, thought not.  They’ll definitely appreciate these beauties this sparkle season.

Go on.  Just a little reward for getting all your Christmas shopping done at FAD Store.  And with every purchase you’re supporting young designers so getting yourself a little present is another way to share the Christmas spirit, right?

Ilari Earrings, $20, SPOT

You’ll need some earrings which shimmer when you shimmy.  We haven’t met anyone who doesn’t love these.  Ships from U.S.

UnBrex My Tee £30, JOBO

We’re not looking forward to March 29^th 2019.  If you feel the same way, gifting yourself this slogan tee  might make you feel a bit better.

Silk Satin Turban Headband with CAmi Pattern, £11.99, OlaOla

Add some continental elegance to your tee with this chic silk turban headband in euro colours.  Plus the silk satin reduces friction on your hair, thus reducing reduces split ends, so it’s an all round winner .

Set of two Wonky Bangles, £65  £52 (with code), Peggy Beard

We love these perfectly imperfect 24-carat gold plated beauties.  And it’s fine to treat yourself because there’s 20% everything in the Peggy Beard online shop with code PBCHRISTMAS

Devoré Course, £60, Design ME

Because we all love a bit of velvety loveliness when it’s cold outside.  Warm yourself up and get inspired with this specialist textiles workshop.

Anatomical Heart Oversize Crop Sweatshirt, £45  and Anatomical Print Tee, £25, Dispari

Give them your heart…

Pink Strawberry Doughnut Necklace, £110 £88 (with code), and Statement Turquoise Eye Ring, £125 £100 (with code), Peggy Beard

Peggy Beard’s rings, earrings, pendants and bangles are all handcrafted and plated in 24 carat gold, sparkling with Swarovski crystals and shiny resin.  Our favourites have to be the Pink Strawberry Doughnut Necklace and the Statement Turquoise Eye Ring.  And just for you, there’s 20% off all Peggy Beard jewellery with offer code PBCHRISTMAS.

Sequin Denim Jacket £64 (was £80), Gbemi

The one you really love will REALLY love this.  We do.

Digital Fabric Printing Course, from £190, DesignME

This 3 day workshop teaches students how to create exciting digital pattern designs ready for printing on fabrics, using both digital and sublimation printers. Every student will go home with their own design on a cushion and meter length of either linen or silk.  Priceless.

Silk Satin Fabric, The Falling – Cross Rosette, £70 per metre,  Box of Prints

Give a little luxury to the stitcher in your life with a length of original printed silk from Box of Prints.  They can run themselves up some couture loungewear, or just hang it up and enjoy the shine…

Before starting at Nicole Farhi, Rachael was interning at Roland Mouret during the week and working a retail job at Aesop over the weekends. She had also made the move down to London from Scotland before that to pursue her ambitions as an intern for womenswear designer Roberta Einer in the lead-up to her SS18 London Fashion Week presentation.

‘I felt extremely tired and frustrated, but also hopeful,’ says Rachael McCurray, thinking back to how she was feeling when she started FAD’s INTOFashion programme. ‘Surrounding myself with people who are established in the industry and who truly want to see you achieve your potential was very important. Meeting my mentor and attending the masterclasses were a very encouraging experience. It was difficult at times to keep the momentum in applying for jobs but consistently receiving lots of advice and attending masterclasses with graduates in the exact same position as me helped give me the drive to keep going!’

While it’s clear Rachael already has an impressive roster of names under her belt, she achieved a portion of it during her time on the INTOFashion programme. ‘My mentor was Holly  Luckwell, who is a product developer for Burberry,’ she explains. ‘Meeting with her was such a great experience to have another person’s insight on what else I could be doing to further my applications. It really helped talking through my future aspirations with someone who has at some point been in the exact same position as a graduate. I had been quite conflicted and she helped talk through two goals I was working towards, either pattern-cutting and design. After a discussion about each, we made a plan to have two separate CVs and portfolios tailored to each role. This was extremely helpful.’

The masterclasses hosted by FAD were also a huge help and, early on in the program, Rachael attended a masterclass with fashion recruiter Carole Robb. ‘It was interesting to get her advice as she has also had a career as a senior designer for various brands, so there were two perspectives,’ Rachael explains. ‘I remember her making a few do and don’t points that were extremely useful to me when I was applying. In particular, I remember her saying how it was important to not sell yourself short on your CV and that a common mistake people make is condensing their CVs to only one page. If you have more experience and it’s relevant, it should be on there.’

Having gained a huge amount of valuable experience and advice across the course of the last year, she has some words of wisdom for those currently stuck on the shop floor, or feeling deflated by their situation. ‘Make the most out of the people you meet while working in retail,’ she advises. ‘I never realised how much I would value working face to face with the public. Building confidence and speaking to new people has really helped me with networking in my current role and liaising with our suppliers.’

Rachael also advises, especially during the application process, to ‘have patience’, ‘set aside a certain amount of time a week applying for roles’, and to weigh up the benefits of interning for specific brands. ‘Make sure each application is considered and think about what section of the industry you want to work in and what you’re going to benefit from interning or working at that brand. If you think it’s going to be a detour on your desired path then make sure it’s considered!’

Given that Hannah was offered the job at whilst taking part in the FAD INTOFashion programme, a lot has changed for her in the past year. ‘I remember I was quite unsatisfied with what I was doing after I finished university and was very deflated. A year on I definitely feel a lot better as I’m working in a job I love.’

As part of INTOFashion Hannah was paired with Aoife Ni Chofaigh, a mentor who previously worked at Ted Baker as a senior designer on womenswear accessories and is currently a freelance accessories design consultant. ‘Aoife has been amazing,’ Hannah explains. ‘Initially I was working at Selfridges as a sales assistant and after working so hard at university, working on the shop floor was quite demeaning for me. When I met Aoife we went through my portfolio and set goals on what to achieve each month. I created a new, refined online portfolio that I could send to job applications.’

Alongside working with her mentor, she also attended a number of the masterclasses set up by FAD. ‘I attended a talk with a speaker from a recruitment agency describing the dos and don’ts when applying for jobs, which I found really helpful,’ Hannah continues. ’I found all of the masterclasses insightful, each for different reasons. It was good to hear where some of the speakers had started in their careers and the struggles that come with working in the fashion industry. That gave me confidence that, sometimes, it’s about perseverance rather than performance.’

While the INTOFashion programme has been a learning curve so too has her current role, and she emphasises that it’s not worth getting stressed that you might not be good enough, and that it’s normal to not know everything. For those currently stuck on the shop floor, eager as she was to progress onto a more design-led field of fashion, she advises that they should ‘apply for jobs and persevere with it every day after work. Jobs and internships come up and they want to fill the roles quickly so if you don’t keep on top of that you might miss out on an opportunity.’

Hannah also advices, when applying for jobs, to ‘keep developing your portfolio so employers can see updated work and different, interesting projects,’ and to ‘do thorough research into the brand you’re applying for or want to work for. Create and design something for that brand so they can see how you would fit within their aesthetic.’

She secured the position after working closely with her INTOFashion mentor, Lisa Ferrie, who works as a senior accessories designer at John Lewis. Together they would meet and work on interview techniques, figuring out what brands Samriddi wanted to work for and how she could tailor her CV towards a specific brand. ‘It was figuring out what I wanted to do, which was good,’ Samriddi says. ‘We’ve tried to meet quite often but we email each other and have a monthly meet-up… Especially with getting the mentorship with Lisa, I feel I’ve had someone to produce work for. It’s someone to report to in a way, and it really helped to keep me going.’ Alongside the work with her mentor, she also took advantage of the masterclasses set up by FAD, specifically around reworking CVs and going about the job search.

‘Because I’m a brand specialist it can be very varied,’ says Samriddi, talking about what a typical day entails at Selfridges. ‘There are days I need to be on the shop floor but I also get to do the buying side of things, which has been interesting. So making sale and trade reports and doing customer analysis. It’s managing people as well, so training people and doing rotas. It’s a lot of different things in one.’

While Samriddi is looking forward to a job that’s off of the shop floor, securing that position has been a process. ‘I was definitely unsure as to what step I should take. I had done quite a few internships and had been applying for a lot of jobs. I was feeling like this wasn’t the right career for me but I knew what I wanted to do, which is why I became interested in joining INTOFashion,’ she says. ‘There were so many times I was thinking that I was never going to do design but with the mentorship I got to talk about it and was told not to give up. If I didn’t have that I feel I would be doing something else now.’

She also realised how important it is to take time for your mental health. ‘Especially working on the shop floor, it can really get to you sometimes,’ she explains. ‘I had to take action and feel like I was working towards something. That way I would feel better mentally. Even if I got rejected it was like, well at least I applied.’

She also, through the experience she’s had in both her personal endeavours and professional life, has some advice for budding designers. ‘Get straight to the point. A lot of the time it’s the HR people hiring you instead of the designers and so they don’t always care what your research inspiration is. They’re looking for what they want in the candidate profile.’

‘I started off only doing two short days a week but over the past year I’ve worked my way up and now get to have a proper say in what happens in the company,’ Gemma says, ‘I get to manage the events schedule, something I find exciting, do the majority of the marketing and handle all of the press enquiries.’

It’s also a role where she’s learnt a lot of specific knowledge. ‘I’ve learnt so much,’ she explains. ‘How to talk appropriately to important clients, how to organise event and get sponsorship. but mainly how to deal with stress. In my position now I’m organising events which people have actually paid for, so there’s a pressure to ensure that things run smoothly and everyone has an enjoyable yet memorable experience.’

As a member of FAD’s INTOFashion programme she was paired with Gemma Metheringham, a mentor who is currently creative director at LabelMix. ‘I think it’s great just being able to speak to someone with so much experience and who’s done it all,’ Gemma continues. ‘I’ve had a few opportunities and bumps since she’s been my mentor and I know that I’m able to e-mail her and she’ll offer to meet or call and talk things through.’ Gemma also attended a number of the INTOFashion masterclasses. ‘I really enjoyed listening to Jennie Becker who is head of events at Reward Style,’ she continues. ‘I want to get into events more so listening to what she had to say was really inspiring.’

It’s only when reflecting back on the way she was feeling before the INTOFashion programme and the impact it had on her workflow both professionally and personally, that the impact of it becomes clear, particularly after those ‘difficult and confusing’ first years after university. ‘I’d been graduated a year and hadn’t really managed to find anything except a three month unpaid internship,’ Gemma says. ‘I was on the verge of giving up and had lost a lot of confidence in my own ability. It felt like things were never going to happen.’

While bridging the gap from university to full-time employment is no doubt a challenge, both her experiences and the impact of INTOFashion has given her some strong advice for others. ‘Looking back I’d say don’t give up. Just keep going with what you love and you’ll get there eventually. Just make sure you’re staying creative. It’s easy to fall into a hole and get sucked into a job you’re not happy with so in your spare time make sure you’re getting out, going to galleries. Also see what extra things you can do in your current job that will help benefit you in the future. When I was working in a café, for example, I asked if I could take over their Instagram account.’

Gemma also advises, within the interview process itself, to ‘really do your research on a company when applying for a role, and know about the little things that they do. The main thing, though, is to be yourself!’

Dotun Abeshinbioke

Dotun Abeshinbioke (Fashion Futures 2013) Owner, SPOT

For the boldest and baddest, SPOT redefines earrings using unconventional materials and hand-crafted elements, inspired by African culture. We’re proud to announce that SPOT is available now at FAD Store. 

“SPOT was a result of being determined to combine my love for fashion with my new found technique, laser cutting. Also deciding to work with a new material, acrylic sheets. From this a series of earrings were designed and created for what was initially a school project. The design that stood out the most was the Iridescent Africa Earring, people continually ask about it. The idea of earrings in the shape of Africa is not new but what made this pair different is the iridescent acrylic it’s made from, the reflective material draws attention and stands out.

What are our values? .

AUTHENTICITY – the inspirations and background o the brand are true of our experiences and heritage.
MADE BY US, FOR US – all products are designed and produced by me; future products will be made by local Nigerian artisans.
CREATIVITY strong visuals are essential; our brand isn’t complete without visuals that tell a story.
COLLABORATION teamwork makes the dream work! We’re always here for an exciting collaboration, whether it’s a shoot or event, especially with other female entrepreneurs.”

Furious Femmes

FURIOUS FEMMES is an all female art collective, bringing a new formation of Women of Colour in the arts, featuring our amazing Fashion Futures alumni Nusra Nijimbere, Tifany Sahili and Sindy Nguyen

FAD is proud to support their group exhibition ConCrete at Gallery 46 and is to the public on Sunday 11 November 2018. Free admission but RSVP is essential for entry – reserve tickets here. 

ConCrete exhibition will feature 13 talented women of colour artists who are pushing the boundaries in their practise. From radical protest, to representation and to abandoning femininity entirely, these artists propose a diverse range of genres, personal methods and rich context. In this innovate presentation, see artworks that project a mutual message on what it means to be a women of colour artist in 2018.

Sandra Abode

Fashion Futures 2009, Designer, Sabode
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Sabodé is a innovative conscious brand, focused on dressing souls and protecting auras. “Being of Nigerian & Togolese parentage, my design process is inspired by colour and texture, that usually informs the silhouette and style of design I create. I pull ideas from my Mum’s 90s wardrobe the way she would mix and match her style alternating between the Western 2-piece suits and traditional attire in contrast to my Dad’s d.i.y and customising approach. They both were in sync with there taste for quality, durability and luxury, their eye for detail and tactile aesthetic is what I inherited.

My interest has progressed into African spirituality & wellbeing when it comes to art, fashion and lifestyle which also plays apart in my design aesthetic when it comes to colour, fabric and graphic design. Viewing clothes as armour means that I am more specific in my design process, my aim is to evoke purpose, confidence and character as I envision the garment to be a form of protection for the wearer”. The clips showcases WOHI ONYA ‘Stylish Woman’. Created for the woman who knows how to marry comfort with style. This look is styled with minimal and androgynous shapes featured in the oversized Organza Kimono and Bogus Shorts paired with the reversible Yoni Top a fitted bodice with lace-up back.

Emmanuella Yiadom-Boakye

Fashion Futures 2018

“An anecdote that best fits my garment is the story of a Ghanaian, female warrior, Yaa Assantewaa. She fought British imperialists that tried to steal the sacred golden stool which was highly revered by Ghanaians. She is empowering because she led a tribe of Ghanaians and resurrected confidence within the land. This unapologetic patriotism is expressed through the busy, sporadic placement of colours, adinkra symbols and fabrics.”

Ola Olayinka

Fashion Futures 2007, Desiner OlaOla

“It wasn’t always obvious to me how my identity influenced my designs and I think that’s because there are a lot of influences and they are subtle. When I tell people I’m a textile designer they assume I must design wax fabric and seem pretty disappointed when I say I don’t. My Nigerian influence in my designs is probably how I use colour, mark-making and mix patterns. I love how colours are used so boldly in African fabric. Also how pattern is worn in a variation of pattern mixing and clashing but is still very harmonious. My Western influence is probably in how I curate the collections and finishing processes.”

You can find Ola’s unique patterns on bags, jewellery, stationery and phone cases, available now through FAD Store

Beatrice Newman

2009 FAD Competition, Director, Korlekie

“Derived from the brand’s heritage in Ghana, the name KORLEKIE means ‘Queen Of Eagles’ heralded by the Ga-Adangbe tribe in Eastern Region, Ghana.

Our products are built on principles of modernisation of traditional craft techniques such as knitwear, fused with pioneering technology and methods to create truly stunning, sustainable pieces of clothing.

Korlekie is proud to design in the UK. Our designs are committed to pioneering excellence in craft and sustainability in quality to make our clients feel truly special and empowered investing in our designs.”

Tihara Smith

Fashion Futures 2013

Tihara Smith’s beautiful graduate collection paid proud tribute to the Windrush Generation, combining traditional Caribbean crafts such as raffia embroidery with elegant silhouettes and covetable accessories.

Tihara and her muse, grandad Lazare, feature in ‘Mother Country’ – 20 real life stories about what it means to be both Caribbean and British, edited by GalDem deputy editor @Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, is available here