Hackney’s Fashion Incubator The Trampery Under Threat

The Trampery is known as one of the country’s most innovative social enterprises, offering early-stage designers high quality studios, specialist facilities and support from which to build their businesses. The project believes that too many talented labels fail early on because they are unable to access suitable facilities and advice.

High profile designers such as Holly Fulton, Jonathan Saunders, Lou Dalton and James Long have benefitted from the East London based project, which currently hosts emerging design talents yet to make a name for themselves and who do not have the means to set up studios alone.

“The Trampery is an incredible facility for start-up and developing designer fashion businesses,” said Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council. “Its studio space, shared-equipment facility and networking spaces make it an ideal place to develop a designer business. Many of the businesses that currently rely on the Trampery facilities are part of London Fashion Week. It is essential to us that The Trampery be found a new home.”

With the designers set to lose their workspace just weeks before they are due to show their collections at London Fashion Week, The Trampery is appealing to the UK fashion community for help to find short term pop-up studios or better still a new permanent home with floor space of 10,000 – 30,000 square feet. They also ask for people to spread the word to support their efforts.

“If we reach a point where early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs simply can’t afford to locate themselves in London any more it will cause long-term damage to the city’s economic fabric,” warns Charles Armstrong, the founder of The Trampery.

By Amy Newson