Leeds Fashion Initiative makes its catwalk debut

TheBusinessDesk.com Lifestyle Correspondent Lisa Darwin was at the launch of the Leeds Fashion Initiative at Leeds City Museum this week.

The fashion show on Wednesday set the foundations for the LFI to promote established brands and emerging local talent, marking the beginning of the LFI’s lofty ambition to regenerate the city’s fashion, clothing and textiles landscape.

The LFI was supported by Leeds City Council, Lamberts Yard, London College of Fashion’s Centre for Fashion Enterprise and key stakeholder in Leeds Fashion Initiative, A.W.Hainsworth & Sons, a 230 year-old textiles manufacturer based in Pudsey.

Hainsworth’s materials and fabrics are sought after by Savile Row, Chanel, Valentino and independent designers such as Jenny Schwarz and I came away with a newfound respect for our city’s fashion/textile heritage and global achievements.

LFI is working with educational institutions in Leeds and sponsoring the event last night was Land Securities, owner and developer of Trinity Leeds and Torque as main sponsors.

Retail director Adam Jagger of Lamberts Yard opened the show. He said: “Collaboration is at the heart of the LFI – the core belief that everyone has something to offer that is mutually beneficial. We’re proud to be bringing the old with the new, presenting young new designers in the city with a long history in fashion and textiles.”

Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council supported his strong message about partnership that aims to build on Leeds’s industrial heritage to help create the Northern Powerhouse.

The thread running through the event was Leeds’s historic legacy for fashion and textiles and for this reason Ishwari Thopte from CFE, declared Leeds’ was the “perfect city” to deliver their four tier supportive strategies for young designers.

Some of the best pieces on the catwalk were the coats, the yellow design by Christopher Raeburn in particular, with fabric by A.W.Hainsworth.

I loved the long red military coat which opened the show, made by local wedding dress designer Anita Massarella on Harrogate Road, who has turned her hand to fashion couture.

Some of the outfits were more controversial, with the likes of highly-patterned and a bright orange gentleman’s suit.

Check out our LFI picture gallery here