East London designer studio forced to close after rent hike

An east-London shared studio, which houses London Fashion Week designers including Jonathan Saunders, Lou Dalton, Holly Fulton and James Long, is set to close after being hit by a 400 percent rent increase.

The Trampery’s fashion incubator London Fields at Mare Street, Hackney, is under threat after the landlord announced a 400 percent rent increase starting in September. The fashion studio complex had been expecting a rent increase, from 125,000 pounds to 230,000 pounds, but the landlord has found a new tenant that has offered 500,000 pounds per year, a 400 percent hike.

Founded in 2009, The Trampery a London-based social enterprise, was created in response to soaring rents that were driving young startups out of the area, and the fashion incubator with workspace for more than 30 fashion businesses including app developers and photography agents, as well as studios for designers, has been one of its most successful projects.

“We put a lot of attention into curating the group we brought together in the building,” The Trampery founder Charles Armstrong told The Memo. “For the designers it’s an office, a community and a social space. It’s also the place where they make their catwalk collections.”

Trampery London Fields seeking new home after 400 percent rent hike

The organisation has now launched a campaign to find a new building of at least 10,000 square feet to relocate and is appealing to large fashion businesses that have 1,000 square feet of unused space for temporary pop-up studios. But the long term plan is to find a building of 10,000 to 30,000 square feet, with good natural light, located in London zones 1 or 2, a minimum five year lease, and most importantly “reasonable” rental terms so the organisation can keep costs low for their designers.

The move couldn’t have come at a worst time as London Fashion Week starts next month and this marks one of the busiest periods in any designer’s schedule.

Commenting on the scheme and closure, British Fashion Council chief executive Caroline Rush said: "The Trampery is an incredible facility for start-up and developing designer fashion businesses. 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.”

The Trampery states in their campaign that there is a “huge need” for a facility that supports early stage designers, as they don’t just provide cheap studio space, but also offering designers support such as introducing them to new initiatives such as an Angel Investor networks or a workshop to help them harness new technologies.

The Trampery London Fields was officially opened two years ago by HRH The Duke of York, who is patron of The Trampery, and is home to 31 small or early stage fashion businesses, as well as offering specialist facilities and equipment that is used by drop-in designers.

Images: The Trampery