Fashionworks Design First Programme

For straightforward and practical support to help your business grow, talk to the Fashionworks industry specialists on the Design First Programme.

We offer end-to-end strategic business advice and industrial knowledge to help new and established fashion design, accessories, crafts artisan makers and manufacturing businesses.

The Design First programme offers a complete service through the critical areas required to professionally develop your businesses and products to identify and enter new markets.

Workshops and one-to-one expertise

Following our hugely successful workshops in 2022 to 2023, we have now designed additional workshops for 2024 and 2025.

To ensure topics are directed by businesses, our workshops and one-on-one consultancy can be selected from market insights and design, sample, manufacturing processes to sourcing production factories and understanding national and international consumer-to-market trends and opportunities.

List of workshops

The following online and onsite workshops have been designed by a team of exceptionally successful businesses, creatives and international market experts, and tailored to fashion and textiles, accessories designers, artisans, craft makers and manufacturing businesses.

February 2024: Online

Grants, funding and opportunities on upcoming funding information to developing project ideas targeted at creatives, artisans and social entrepreneurs and businesses.
Presenters: Funding and bid writing experts on local and central government, arts, design and charity funding.

April 2024: Online

Designing and launching new bestsellers: Covering new market trends and designs, insight into consumer buying patterns to product gaps in fashion, accessories, lifestyle products and interior markets.
Presenters: International experts and design futurists from luxury to high street commercial markets.

June 2024: Online

Local sourcing and manufacturing walkthrough part 1: Sourcing and approaching manufacturers, costing and preparation to work with QA woven/stretch and accessories/bag factories in London.
Presenters: Fashionworks production managers and manufacturing specialists from designer to commercial markets.

July 2024: Onsite

Designer manufacturing visits part 2: Visits and in-factory information on working with London-based manufacturer/CMT factories.

September 2024: Online

Offshore sourcing and manufacturing part 3: Meet the African manufacturers to require information and tech packs.