The six-day festival will offer a celebration of sustainable, circular and regenerative fashion. This year the Fashion District Festival proudly partners with SXSW London, to support global pioneers and trailblazers in fashion technology and sustainability. Bringing together conscious shoppers and start up entrepreneurs, the festival centres around a live fashion performance showcase, a sustainable pop-up shop, upcycling workshops and fashion business panel events.
SHOP: Explore a curated pop-up, which will host pre-loved, swapped and repair brands at 30a Spital Square. Featuring emerging and planet-positive designers and start-ups, the brands on show specialise in upcycling, resale, natural dyes and craftsmanship.
A series of events will be hosted in the pop-up space, where conscious shoppers can discover more sustainable ways to engage with fashion, learn how to give clothing a second life and explore the latest trends in upcycling:
- Bring things to be repaired at Omnifix's repair clinic
- Transform your jacket, hat and favourite piece with piercing-inspired detailing at upcycling platform Alterist’s Piercing Studio (Friday 6th June)
- Refresh your wardrobe by bringing and exchanging your clothes at Verte London’s swap shop(Saturday 7th June)
- Get your sneakers professionally cleaned by Vamp and extend the life of your favourite footwear (Saturday 7th June)
- Mend your jeans as part of the 1000 Jeans Challenge (Sunday 8th June)
- Discover discounted outfits for the upcoming wedding season from South Asian preloved and rental fashion platform Circular Threads(Sunday 8th June)
WATCH: Experience a one-off fashion performance showcase on Tuesday 3rd June, 8pm - 9pm, featuring an electrifying performance by Alexander Whitley Dance Company that will fuse fashion, choreography and cutting-edge technology. Styled by award-winning fashion stylist Kim Howells, and including designs from Dr Noki and Maximilian Raynor, the performance promises a truly immersive and innovative exploration of fashion in motion, pushing the boundaries of creative expression. To get your ticket, see here.
On Wednesday 4th June, 5-8pm, IoDF will be hosting hosts an innovation showcase celebrating the winner of its debut Creators Fund call-out, OPIA. Presenting their installation ‘RAVECONOMY’ for the first time, OPIA’s work offers a candid exploration of London’s underground partygirl economy. To get your ticket, see here.
MAKE: Spark creativity with upcycling, craft and customisation workshops for all ages, with highlight events including:
- Knit a bag out of two t-shirts with Geo Knits Slow (Thursday 5th June)
- Learn how to create your own biomaterials with Biodesign Collective and transform discarded household items into wearable pop accessories with Clara Chu (Friday 6th June)
- Embroider a unique treasure pouch using fabric scraps, appliqué and found objects in this hands-on workshop with textiles designer Lauren Paul (Saturday 7th June)
- Design personalised patches with master upcycler Dani Dawkins (Saturday 7th June
GROW: Fashion businesses, start-ups, brands and investors can learn and connect at a series of roundtables, talks, and workshops that delve into the ideas driving change within the industry. Highlights includes:
- Spin Ventures: Accelerating Regenerative Fashion (Thursday 5th June) – co-hosted by The House of Circularity, this exclusive one-day working session brings together brands, investors and innovators to mobilise capital, unlock industry adoption and scale venture-led innovation through commercial pilots. Speakers include Chelsea Franklin, PANGAIA, Mary Fellowes, Greenwith Studios, Carmel Rafaeli, the Table, and Sustainability Strategist François Souchet.
- Past and Future Fabrics Panel (Friday 6th June) - join Mary Fellowes and Safia Minney MBE in a series of Sofa Stories exploring ethical practises and how we can produce fabrics more regeneratively
- Circular Design Practice (Friday 6th June) - facilitated by Laetitia Forst, UAL, and Shailja Dube, British Fashion Council, the session will focus on how designers and brands are navigating circular design – from extending garment life and reducing waste to creating regenerative systems and materials.
Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District, comments:“We’re thrilled to bring the Fashion District Festival back to East London’s Spitalfields this year, spotlighting the next generation of talent and innovation in sustainability. For us, the festival is a platform for progress,and in a new 2025 collaboration with SXSW London we will explore critical industry themes. By championing emerging designers, start-ups and thought leaders, we aim to reshape the fashion landscape, making it easier for communities to shop consciously while supporting a more sustainable and circular approach.”
Katy Arnander, Director of Programming, SXSW London, adds: "London has long been recognized as a global hub for fashion, serving not only as a birthplace, but also as a major point of convergence for consumers and designers worldwide. SXSW London is excited to celebrate this creativity with the Fashion District, who have their home firmly rooted in East London and Spitalfields. Fashion District represents some of the UK’s most thoughtful and dynamic emerging talent, while playing a vital role integrating sustainability and circular fashion into the very fabric of innovation."
Jason Dervin, Spitalfields Estate Director, says, “We are so proud to host the ever-inspiring Fashion District Festival for the second time. It’s fantastic to champion sustainable start-ups, emerging talent and brands in such a dynamic way. This vibrant celebration perfectly complements our existing shops and eateries, and we cannot wait to see everyone at the festival this summer.”
Fashion District Festival is made possible through the support of London College of Fashion, UAL, and its partners SXSW, Spitalfields E1 and C-Screens. All events can be booked via the Fashion District website (fashion-district.co.uk).