What Does It Mean To Be a Designer Today?

In the season opener of The BFC Fashion Forum Podcast, poet and trans visibility activist Kai-Isaiah Jamal, designers Jordan Bowen and Luca Marchetto of JORDANLUCA, cultural historian Fenella Hitchcock, and model, producer and photographer, Zorawar Waraich explore the role of fashion in shaping queer identity and expression in modern Britain. Together, they unpack how what we wear can be harnessed as a powerful medium for self-expression, exploring its connections to sexuality, psychology, and culture within the queer community. From the raw intensity of menswear to decolonisation through fashion, this episode uncovers the power of queer dress.Guests: Kai Isaiah Jamal, JORDANLUCA, Fenella Hitchcock, Zorawar Waraich.The BFC Fashion Forum Podcast explores topics that are impacting the creative industries. With knowledge sharing at its core, the podcast brings the creative community together and platforms the BFC network. Each episode brings a broad range of voices, sharing personal experiences on how they navigate the industry, while discussing the most pressing issues in fashion today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the final episode of the season, journalist Tora Northman and content creator Odunayo Ojo (Fashion Roadman) discuss the impact of TikTok on fashion consumption and the changing landscape of social media. About Tora: A multi-hypehnate in the world of content, Tora is a journalist, content creator and fashion stylist currently working for global platform Highsnobiety as Senior Social Media Manager.About Odunayo:Under the alias Fashion Roadman, Odunayo is a fashion journalist, first established through YouTube in 2018, gaining over 4 million views and going on to work with Vogue, GQ and BoF. Ojo is also the founder of fashion and culture platform The Fashion Archive.About the BFC: Brought to you by the British Fashion Council, a series of conversations with designers and the broader creative community, all of whom play a vital role in the fashion industry’s culture and reputation, promoting British creativity on a global scale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode five is hosted by speaker and disability activist Victoria Jenkins and features designer Karoline Vitto and singer and model Lovelle. With a focus on the importance of body positivity for all and size representation in the fashion industry, they discuss how the industry can adapt to be more inclusive, regardless of size, race and disability. About Victoria Jenkins: Founder and CEO of socially responsible, adaptive clothing brand Unhidden (BFC Member), Victoria is an award winning designer and disability advocate, speaker and writer.About Karoline Vitto: Karoline is a Brazilian-born, London-based designer and recipient of BFC NEWGEN 2024/25. With a focus on the female form, Karoline's work celebrates the body, keeping in front and centre during the design process. Her namesake label offers sizes ranging from UK 8-UK 28.About Lovelle: Lovelle is a singer, songwriter and model from London.About the British Fashion Council:Brought to you by the British Fashion Council, a series of conversations with designers and the broader creative community, all of whom play a vital role in the fashion industry’s culture and reputation, promoting British creativity on a global scale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For episode four, photographer Campbell Addy is joined by designer Tolu Coker, and model James Corbin to discuss the importance of telling the stories of cultural identity within fashion and exploring their individuality through shared cultural experiences. The conversation focuses on the pressures of being Black in the fashion industry, and how to remain authentic in the face of criticism and obstacles.About Campbell:British-Ghanaian artist and photographer Campbell Addy draws inspiration from his culturally diverse upbringing, this has informed an intricate discovery of the self and a unique eye. In 2023, Campbell was awarded the Isabella Blow award in for Fashion Creator at The Fashion Awards presented by Pandora.About Tolu: Tolu Coker is a young British-Nigerian Fashion and Textiles Designer, Illustrator and Multi-Disciplinary Artist based in London. Merging artisan craftsmanship with innovative technology, her mainly- unisex designs have a key focus on deconstruction and sustainability and her work has since been internationally recognised, and is supported by the BFC NEWGEN initiative.About James: James Corbin is a fashion model and creative based in London who has fronted global campaigns for Levi’s and Valentino and starred in editorials for Dazed and Vogue Italia. About the BFC Fashion Forum Podcast:Brought to you by the British Fashion Council, a series of conversations with designers and the broader creative community, all of whom play a vital role in the fashion industry’s culture and reputation, promoting British creativity on a global scale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For episode three, Vogue Business Executive European Editor, Kirsty McGregor is joined by CEO and Co-Founder of Tomorrow, Stefano Martinetto, and Founder and Creative Director of MACHINE-A, Stavros Karelis to discuss the ongoing cultural and socio-economic implications of Brexit on the British fashion industry. Combining their knowledge and experiences from across the industry, Kirsty, Stavros and Stefano highlight the necessity for a collaborative community, alongside organisations like the BFC, to support young and independent designers through times of social and economic uncertainty.      About Kirsty McGregor: Kirsty McGregor is executive European editor at Vogue Business. She was previously the editor of UK-based fashion trade magazine Drapers. She joined Drapers in 2014 from a background of social policy journalism.About Stefano Martinetto:Stefano Martinetto is chief executive and co-founder of Tomorrow, a growth and development platform founded in 2008 for fashion brands. Tomorrow are the lead investors in brands such as A-Cold-Wall*, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Colville and Martine Rose, as well as retailer MACHINE-A.About Stavros Karelis:Stavros Karelis is founder and buying director of independent concept store MACHINE-A, known supporting young design talents by stocking them alongside established brands. Karelis is also a judge for the BFC's NEWGEN initiative.About the BFC Fashion Forum Podcast:Brought to you by the British Fashion Council, a series of conversations with designers and the broader creative community, all of whom play a vital role in the fashion industry’s culture and reputation, promoting British creativity on a global scale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode designer Jawara Alleyne and writer and cultural communications thought leader Yasmin Jones-Henry discuss how designers can utilise indigenous knowledge and traditions to create truly sustainable brands. Delving into their Caribbean heritage, Jawara and Yasmin highlight how many indigenous groups have rich histories of sustainable production and consumption and they discuss the resounding positive impact of their upbringing on their work.About Jawara:As an interdisciplinary artist, creative director and educator, designer Jawara Alleyne graduated from London’s Central Saint Martins in 2020, going on to launch his namesake brand on the London Fashion Week schedule as part of Fashion East in 2021.Jawara’s work is rooted in identity - linking together inspiration from Jamaica, where he was born, the Cayman Islands, where he grew up and London where he currently resides.About Yasmin:Yasmin Jones-Henry is a writer for the Financial Times, a cultural placeshaping strategist and co-founder & curator of The Lab E20.Working across investment, real estate, the creative industries and public art, Yasmin is committed to demonstrating the power of culture and co-creation as catalysts to unlocking inclusive regeneration and positive growth, continuously linking her work back to the legacy of community, craft and the power of collective creativity.About the BFC Fashion Forum Podcast:Brought to you by the British Fashion Council, a series of conversations with designers and the broader creative community, all of whom play a vital role in the fashion industry’s culture and reputation, promoting British creativity on a global scale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kicking off Season 5 of the British Fashion Council's Fashion Forum Podcast, journalist and writer Lauren Cochrane talks to London based designer and BFC NEWGEN alumni Martine Rose in ‘What Does It Mean To Be a Designer Today?’. About Martine: Awarded BFC NEWGEN in 2014 and the recipient of the British Menswear Designer of the Year Award at The Fashion Awards in 2017, 2018 and 2023, Martine Rose is an award winning British-Jamaican designer based in London, who began her eponymous brand in 2007. A force in the Menswear scene in the UK and internationally, Martine quickly rose from cult fashion brand status to the founder of a global, critically acclaimed business. About Lauren: Lauren Cochrane is a British journalist and author with almost 25 years of experience in the fashion industry. Writing and editing for some of the UK’s leading publications; Vogue, i-D, The Sunday Telegraph to name a few. Lauren currently works as Senior Fashion Writer of The Guardian and is also the author of ‘The Ten’, published in 2021, which chronicles the history of staple fashion items.About the BFC Fashion Forum Podcast: Brought to you by the British Fashion Council, a series of conversations with designers and the broader creative community, all of whom play a vital role in the fashion industry’s culture and reputation, promoting British creativity on a global scale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entertainment editor Josh Smith is joined by celebrity stylist Rose Forde and red carpet photographer Richard Young to discuss the past, present and future of the red carpet. From iconic fashion moments and red carpet critics to present day political statements and challenging gendered dressing, how have the rules of the red carpet changed for good? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2022 BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund recipient Nicholas Daley is joined by Tan France to discuss his journey in the fashion industry, from his studies at Central St Martins, receiving NEWGEN support, to winning the 2022 BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund.The two discuss Nicholas's ongoing influences, his Scottish and Jamaican heritage and early musical interest, creative community, sustainable practices, and future ambitions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creative Director Susan Bender Whitfield is joined by Lucinda Chambers and JoAni Johnson to discuss age diversity in the fashion industry. From supermodel revivals to intergenerational teaching, the three discuss the importance of age representation in creative fields. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.