Alliances |LDA
The London Development Agency (LDA) is the Mayor’s agency responsible for driving London’s sustainable economic growth. The LDA works to deliver sustainable economic developments that benefit Londoners, with the aim to improve the competitiveness and productivity of business; create opportunities in the labour market; and engage and enable many of the diverse communities who live and work in London.
London is one of the world centres for fashion and dominates the UK designer fashion industry: central to the London fashion sector is London Fashion Week; London is home to the majority of the country’s leading designers and the headquarters of international labels; and London has world renowned fashion educational institutes with impressive alumni lists.
The LDA recognises the significant impact that fashion has on London’s economy, not just through associated sales and retail, but also its effect on tourism and London’s position as a crucible of creativity. The LDA has set out a rationale for supporting designer fashion in London: to protect the sector and London Fashion Week from the threats posed by overseas competition and to nurture the talent emerging from our colleges. Thus, the LDA’s support divides broadly across two themes of intervention: to promote and enhance London’s reputation as a leading fashion city; and to provide specialist business development support to our emerging designer talent.
Central to the LDA’s support to emerging designers is their partnership with the CFE. The CFE has been supported by the LDA since 2002 when the original CFE concept was conceived. The CFE is one of the current two major projects supported by the LDA (the BFC being the other project).
