JCA | London Fashion Academy joins LFW schedule

Jimmy Choo’s JCA | London Fashion Academy has confirmed that it is joining the London Fashion Week line-up in September to showcase Patrick McDowell and its first graduating MA Designers.

JCA’s inaugural LFW show will take place on September 19. Designer in residence and sustainability ambassador for the JCA, Patrick McDowell will showcase his spring/summer 2023 collection first, which merges the uncanny world of Marie Antoinette with his own Liverpudlian background, before each MA Student presents their debut collection in the same space.

Stephen Smith, founder and chief executive of the JCA, said in a statement: “Our upcoming London Fashion Week show is a momentous occasion for us all at the JCA. Since officially opening our doors only one year ago in September 2021 we have nurtured our first graduating MA cohort from our home on Hanover Square.

“Opening our doors to the public one year on is the perfect moment to celebrate not only the successes of these hugely talented young designers but to also give our designer in residence and sustainability ambassador Patrick McDowell a stage within the building that inspired his ‘Marie Antoinette goes to Liverpool’ collection.”

The JCA MA Graduates in Fashion Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation taking part in the showcase will be: Melissa Kate, a demi-couture label that mixes themes of Hollywood Glamour, rock’n’roll and spirituality to create the look of the modern pin-up; Size-A, a label for petite women by Annabelle Barton; Maryam Orchid, a young luxury footwear and accessories designer who uses her Caribbean background as a muse to create a couturier aesthetic; Angels Wear Nada, an inclusive up-cycled denim brand, collaborative art project and experimental event space founded by Noon Khouri; and Sophie Park, a plant-based, designer footwear brand bringing a range of innovative designs and ideas to the market.

Smith added: “At the Academy we professionally incubate our learners as emerging designers. This means that our students will begin their professional lives from the moment they enter the Academy, developing their craft by establishing their own brand label, working in professional studios and through exhibiting, showcasing and trading in a luxury Mayfair location. Showcasing at London Fashion Week, and alongside established designers, is a natural extension of that approach.”