Pioneer Programme
The Pioneer Programme is aimed at high-end designer businesses that have usually been trading for 2-3 seasons and achieved annual sales of between £10-50k. Businesses will potentially have around five stockists, private orders, and good press interest. They may have a small team typically consisting of interns and freelance support.
The Centre for Fashion Enterprise is committed to partnerships across the industry, and typically designers on the Pioneer Programme are also engaged with Fashion East, MAN, Vauxhall Fashion Scout and On|Off.
The Pioneer Programme runs for 6 months and is tailored to each business, consisting of regular face-to-face sessions with members of the CFE team, as well as occasional expert workshops. Content would normally include a diagnostic review of the business, cash-flow advice and finance, business planning, discussion regarding commercial opportunities, sales preparation, legal issues, brand building , networks, range planning, order book and market review and business sustainability.
Designer labels that have previously been on the Pioneer Programme include:
Christopher Shannon, Julian J Smith, Holly Fulton, Heikki Salonen, James Long, JW Andersson, Carolyn Massey, J Smith Esquire, Ostwald Helgason, Maria Francesca Pepe, Danielle Scutt – Deryck Walker – Emilio de la Moreno – Felder Felder – House of Holland – Jo Sykes – Krystof Strozyna – Louise Goldin – Louise Gray – Meadham Kirchhoff – Natascha Stolle – Omar Kashoura – Osman Yousefzada – Peter Pilotto – Steph Aman – Tim Soar – Todd Lynn – William Tempest
The Centre for Fashion Enterprise is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and part of the Solutions for Business “Innovation, Advice and Guidance” package of publicly funded business support products and services designed to help companies start and grow.
