Can you take the 'London' out of London Fashion Week?

Can you take the 'London' out of London Fashion Week?

As London Fashion Week draws to a close, a new initiative has been launched to help talent from outside the capital break into the industry.

The curtain may have come down on London Fashion Week (LFW), but organisers hope the runway of the future will look a little different.

Fashion Britain is the British Fashion Council's initiative aimed at widening access to talent beyond London - so how do you move the spotlight away from the traditional centre of that world?

The council told BBC Newsbeat it has been working with LFW on a series of pop-up events in England, Wales and Scotland to show this year's event was "bigger than London".

Northern Ireland was not included as a location for this year's initiative, but the council said it will be included next year.

, external found that more than half (51%) of the creative industries' economic output was generated in London in 2022.

However, it did say there are "clusters of creative industries" around the country, including cities such as Manchester and Leeds.

"A lot of people think in order to make it big, you have come to this big city because it has the schools here," says Charles Jeffrey, founder and creative director of international fashion label Loverboy.

"But actually, there is so much amazing education that happens in different places," the Scottish designer tells Newsbeat.

"I first started [in] a tiny studio in Dalston [in east London] and we were having to use fabrics from these cheap fabric shops that you would probably only really get in London because of the rag trade," he recalls.

"Now a lot of them have gone and what made London a capital city for fashion has been taken away, so you're probably better getting your fabrics from a little fabric shop in Manchester - it's probably ten times cheaper."

Charles Jeffrey says there is more than one way into the fashion industry

Jeffrey backed Fashion Britain this year, with the goal of opening doors in the industry for creatives outside London, but how realistic is that?

Birmingham City University graduate Imarnie Bennett knows something about the challenge.

She travelled to the capital to present her project with fellow BCU fashion graduates to an audience at Somerset House.

"London is such a big city, it's really well known and there are lots of opportunities," says the 22-year-old.

"You hear Birmingham and it's a bit like, 'will they get us the same opportunities as London?', but I feel like Birmingham is becoming more noticed for what we do."

Bennett says you can use the power of being different.

"Even colours, some cities are brighter and warmer than others, so it changes people's perspectives on things," she says.

Meanwhile, fellow designer Sean Pajarillo says he is optimistic about job prospects because of the way technology and the fashion industry are evolving.

"The merging of industries is what's going to create new opportunities for someone in the future," says the 25-year-old.

Birmingham City University (BCU) Fashion Design graduate Sean Pajarillo says he feels positive about opportunities in the industry - despite not living in London

Natalie Potter is network director at the British Fashion Council, and says the Fashion Britain initiative is "about recognising that British fashion is bigger than London".

Potter says that in the run-up to LFW there were events in London, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Dundee and Cardiff.

But what happens once the catwalk moves on?

Potter says the aim of Fashion Britain is to connect talent with "the infrastructure and opportunities that they need to grow".

"So working with the big global businesses that we do across the country to make sure that they've got routes to retail, to give them active mentorship," she explains.

Potter says this will happen "locally and regionally".

Designer Priya Ahluwalia says practical help can go a long way in opening doors for people

British designer Priya Ahluwalia believes this is essential.

"I do think there is a genuine issue with London being seen as the centre of the universe in terms of fashion," she says.

"There is incredible talent from all over the UK, some of the best designers have come from the north, come from Wales, Scotland".

Ahluwalia spoke to Newsbeat after displaying her archive at Westfield Stratford City shopping centre as part of Fashion Week.

The designer explained that practical support is important in helping talent access the industry.

"Whether we decentralise or not, London is still going to be the centre of UK fashion.

"There needs to also be support for people to be able to travel to London, show up in London", Ahluwalia says.

For Jeffrey, formal training is not the only route into fashion.

"Sometimes having a university degree does kind of put your foot in the door - but honestly, I really think it's just about the work and work ethic."