Eldon Square’s Future Heritage shows what BFC’s Fashion Britain could mean for regional fashion

When Laura Weir took over the helm of the British Fashion Council (BFC) last year, the organisation was battling somewhat of an identity crisis. With established designers slowly moving to Paris and Milan and the broader fashion industry facing financial pressures, questions over London Fashion Week’s relevance, impact and status became prevalent. For Weir, there is a possible solution, but it lies beyond the confines of a central fashion hub.

For the SS27 season, the BFC introduced Fashion Britain, a new initiative that sought to more evenly spread geographical representation of fashion, bringing what the council said was around 1,000 events to six cities across the UK. Through panel talks, shows and experiences, the programme’s aim is to not only enable broader involvement but promote fashion as a viable industry for individuals living beyond London to enter and navigate.

One of the cities chosen to host was Newcastle Upon Tyne. Often referred to as the regional capital of the North East of England, the city’s history is largely rooted in coal mining and shipbuilding. However, part of its early industrial development was bolstered by wool and cloth production. Nowadays, young design talent floods out of local educational institutions, with their potential already evident before the graduate cap adorns their heads.

Newcastle’s creative identity takes to Grainger Market runway

An example came to the forefront over the weekend in a show held at Grainger Market. Here, the historic central arcade, typically a space for cafes and market stalls, was transformed into a runway. The event was split into two parts – a showcase for the collections of ‘Future Heritage’ finalists and the latest line of homegrown label, Jerry J – each encapsulating Newcastle’s spirit, which featured prominently throughout, whether in textile cityscapes or pieces adorned with local catchphrases, such as ‘shy bairns get nowt’.

‘Future Heritage’ kicked off the event. In a broad sense, the initiative, introduced by Newcastle shopping centre Eldon Square earlier this year, is seeking to accelerate long-term investment performance and push for sector-defining asset transformation. Yet the core of the programme is a partnership with Newcastle College and department store retailer Fenwick, another born-and-bred Newcastle retailer. Through the initiative, Eldon Square had tasked students of the college to produce designs celebrating the city’s heritage, with three ultimately selected to show their collections during the BFC event.

The winner, Ellie McInerney, and runners up, Rose Henson and Riley Richards, were the chosen students out of 80 applicants, and each showed pieces that were as colourful as they were artistic. The setup of Future Heritage, which forms part of Eldon’s 50th anniversary celebrations, intends to provide a wealth of opportunity for young students experiencing the industry for the first time, having specifically tasked them with an industry-facing brief and the subsequent foundational exposure. The three that came out on top will also sell a limited range of their collections in Fenwick over the Christmas period.

For Fenwick Newcastle store director Kieran McBride, the department store’s involvement was a natural extension of its long-standing relationship with the city. “Fenwick has been part of Newcastle for almost 145 years, so supporting the city and celebrating the creativity that exists here is incredibly important to us. Fashion has always been central to what we do, and Future Heritage brought together so many things we care about – fashion, emerging talent, our city’s heritage and creating opportunities for the next generation,” McBride told FashionUnited.

That relationship also places Fenwick in a position to connect Newcastle’s emerging creative talent with a wider fashion industry. “Being part of Fashion Britain also gives Newcastle’s creative community a national platform. There is an incredible amount of talent in the North East and, as one of the city’s major retailers, we see an important role for Fenwick in helping to champion that talent, connect people and create opportunities for creativity to be seen and celebrated,” he added.

“Newcastle has always had a strong creative identity, and we wanted to give emerging talent a meaningful platform to celebrate the city, its heritage and its exciting fashion future,” Helen Cowie, centre director of Eldon Square, told FashionUnited.

The presence of Jerry J Clothing, the brand founded by Gambian-born, Newcastle College University Centre alumni Lamin Gibba, served as an example of what could emerge when a young designer gets the necessary support. Gibbe founded his label back in 2016 after receiving backing from The Prince’s Trust – now The King’s Trust. His latest collection, which was unveiled following the Future Heritage runway, merged his African roots with signature Newcastle codes, with pieces sent down the runway to the tune of a live band performing African music.

As a whole, the fervour around the show was palpable. While relatively small in scale compared to the more pronounced runways of London, the vast support that had descended on Grainger Market suggested a hunger for similar events from an audience willing to get involved. It was therefore apt that Jon Ridley, Newcastle College’s president, confirmed during his closing speech that cooperating between the BFC, Eldon Square and Fenwick was to continue beyond the event, though what shape that will take is yet to be seen.

The value of that cooperation extends beyond giving students a moment in the spotlight for Fenwick. McBride said the relationship between retailers and emerging designers can provide both sides with access, a facet that is increasingly important as regional fashion ecosystems develop. “For emerging designers, access to established retailers and the wider industry can provide invaluable experience, exposure and insight into how creativity translates into a commercial environment. But the benefit absolutely works both ways,” he said.

McBride continued: “Retailers need new perspectives and new ideas. Working directly with emerging talent gives us exposure to different ways of thinking and to the cultural influences shaping the next generation of our customers. Future Heritage is a great example of what can happen when retail and education work together – students gain a genuine industry platform, while we get to engage with and learn from some of the most exciting young creative talent in our region.”

The role of regional shopping destinations in supporting next gen talent

For Eldon, the launch of Future Heritage forms part of a wider transformation and retail strategy that Cowie said “is all about creating a destination that feels truly connected to its place and its community”. Mirroring similar strategies undertaken by shopping centres across the UK, many striving to provide customers with a plethora of experiences, Eldon has sought to bring together fashion, culture, education and commerce to give people another reason to visit the centre, with Future Heritage playing a key role in that.

“The best physical destinations give people something to experience, not simply somewhere to shop. A project like Future Heritage gives customers a reason to pause and feel part of what is happening in their city – weaving Eldon Square into the fabric of the city,” Cowie noted. “When fashion is brought to life through creativity, talent and real stories, it complements the retail offer brilliantly and opens the door for a new wave of designers. It makes a trip to Eldon Square feel like part of a wider day out in the city, rather than just another shopping trip.”

The event was evidence of how imperative it is for retail networks to also be involved and uplift these initiatives, particularly in providing designers with commercial-backing. But they also need support. By introducing Fashion Britain, the BFC is recognising not only local talent but also these regional networks, giving them a much needed boost amid a period in which major retail destinations amp up efforts to cater to customers beyond retail alone, making the council’s support detrimental.

Cowie said Newcastle being selected as a host city by the BFC was an “opportunity to place Newcastle’s creativity within a wider national fashion conversation” and amplify its originality to a broader national stage. “There is a real opportunity for regional retail destinations to play a bigger role in supporting the next generation of creative talent. We have the spaces, audiences and partnerships to give young people practical experience and a connection to the industries they want to work in,” she added.

This regional role is also central to what a more decentralised British fashion industry could look like in practice. McBride commented: “British fashion has never only existed in London. Every region has its own identity, culture and creative community, and those differences are part of what makes British fashion so interesting."

He added: “Regional retailers can provide the local knowledge, customer relationships, physical spaces and industry connections that help turn creative talent into real opportunity. For Fenwick, there is also a real benefit in being part of a more connected national fashion community while helping ensure Newcastle and the North East have a strong voice within it. We want talented people to see that they can build careers, make connections and find opportunities here, rather than feeling they have to leave the region to succeed.”

It is exactly this that the BFC is striving for. When introducing Fashion Britain, the council’s CEO Laura Weir underlined a mission to decentralise the UK’s fashion industry, stating: “Too often, fashion has been a London-centric story. We must now decentralise in so many ways. We must recognise excellence across the UK and make our industry more accessible.”

Discussions over what decentralisation would or should look like continued into a panel talk held at contemporary art gallery Baltic following the Future Heritage show. Here, Newcastle-born designer Genevive Devine, Re:Bourn founder Sophie Cabourn, and Barbour team members spoke as part of the BFC’s Fashion Britain panel series. During the talk, the group spoke of Newcastle’s unique persona, both in the people that live there and the design talent that emerges. They highlighted the importance of local universities like Northumbria, where Devine graduated before moving to Central Saint Martins to do an MA, and work placement initiatives, like Barbour’s Early Careers.

Collectively, however, it was clear there was still a pressing need for funding and more foundational support frameworks. But the BFC presence all the way up North could be a sign of things shifting. “Future Heritage is a strong example of what can happen when that support is collaborative. Newcastle College students were able to respond to a live brief, engage with industry expertise and see their work shared with the public,” Cowie stated.

As a judge on the Future Heritage panel, McBride also saw that potential first-hand. What stood out, he said, was “the individuality of the work and the different ways the students interpreted Newcastle and its heritage”. “They were given the same broad starting point, but the creativity, confidence and originality in the responses were incredibly varied,” he continued. “Seeing the work first-hand reinforced just how much creative talent we have here in the North East. It also reinforced the role businesses like Fenwick can play.”

That role doesn't necessarily require retailers to have all the answers. Instead, it calls on them to use the resources already available to them. “It isn't necessarily about having all the answers; sometimes the most valuable thing we can provide is access – to our people, our spaces, our customers and our wider network,” McBride said. “If we can use those things to give emerging talent greater visibility and meaningful experience of the industry, that's something we're very keen to continue.”

Cowie echoed the need for this kind of continued collaboration. She continued: “Looking ahead, I would like to see more opportunities that bring creative education, retailers, cultural organisations and local businesses together. The North East has extraordinary talent, and by creating more routes for people to be seen, celebrated and connected, we can help turn that talent into long-term creative careers.”

The question now is what happens after the runway. Fashion Britain has demonstrated that there is an appetite for fashion beyond London, but decentralisation will only have lasting value if the infrastructure around emerging talent develops alongside it. That means creating clearer routes from education into industry, ensuring retailers and cultural institutions continue to provide commercial platforms, and giving designers the funding, networks and manufacturing support needed to build careers where they are.

Newcastle’s weekend of activity offered a glimpse of what that ecosystem could look like when education, retail, culture and industry align. The challenge for the BFC, and for the regional partners now being brought into its wider vision, is to ensure that the momentum does not leave with fashion week.