This autumn, we’ve been working with a new cohort of fashion entrepreneurs on our second fashion-focused Echo++ accelerator programme, Fashion++. We were looking for brands challenging the way we view, buy and experience fashion, and we were lucky to work with an inspiring cohort of 13 businesses doing just that!

Over a four-week intensive course co-designed and delivered with the London College of Fashion, our budding entrepreneurs skilled up in everything from business modelling and finance to collaboration and pitching. We were delighted to have some superstar contributors from the Echo network delivering on the programme, ranging from the founder of fashion manufacturing platform Utelier, to jewellery brand and Echo++ alumni, Stööki.

Fashion++ culminated with Demo Day, hosted by Work.Life London Fields, where our entrepreneurs pitched to an industry panel including founder of Gallivant, Nick Steward and founder of Fashion Business Education, Frederica Boateng, Multidisciplinary Designer and Strategist, Amy Chao, and Fashion Designer and Creative Consultant, Richard Mkloma.

Our judges selected three winning pitches: Daniel from Your Samples Collective, a premium made-in-Britain menswear brand, Shushoma from asian-fusion casual-wear brand Shushii, and Jack from Jack Goode Tailoring, offering bespoke tailored pieces for gender non-binary people.

Our Echo++ programmes go far beyond just the four weeks – the Fashion++ businesses are invited into the Echo community, and bring a whole host of skills and expertise to share, from social media to design, photography to tailoring. Here’s what one of our participants had to say about the programme:

“With Fashion++, you’re completing the journey with a community of like-minded others, at a similar stage of business, who understand the struggle and are fully committed”

– Nate Johnson, CMX Runway

“Such a valuable teaching & mentoring experience that I was fortunate to be a part of. I’ve made some key contacts and feel so much more driven to push forward!”

– Siobhan Shanley, founder of h.huna

Looking for support for your creative business venture? Check out the next programme from Echo++ – Creative++. Plus, scroll down for some highlights from Fashion++ Demo Day. Photos by Echo member Ilyas Ayub.