Debenhams Group, home to Debenhams, Karen Millen, boohoo, MAN and PrettyLittleThing, today announces its headline sponsorship of this year’s Graduate Fashion Week (GFW).
Graduate Fashion Week, which will take place from Friday 13th to Monday 16th June, is hosted by the Graduate Fashion Foundation, a charitable foundation dedicated to giving young people the best possible start in the fashion industry. Graduate Fashion Week is an opportunity for the next generation of talent to showcase their creativity to the industry.
Over the past 33 years, more than 100,000 students have been supported by the charity, which has been responsible for launching some of the most successful designers of our time, including Stella McCartney, Giles Deacon and Julien MacDonald.
Debenhams Group’s headline sponsorship builds on its long-standing partnership with the Graduate Fashion Foundation. The Group has worked with the Graduate Fashion Foundation since 2016, supporting nearly 30,000 aspiring fashion creatives.
This is the sixth year the Group will be sponsoring Graduate Fashion Week, reiterating its commitment to fostering the next generation of talent in the industry through hands-on experience, education and career development opportunities.
As part of its sponsorship of Graduate Fashion Week, Debenhams Group is once again hosting its “Catwalk to Collection” Award, offering aspiring young designers the chance to win a 12-month contract at Debenhams Group and the opportunity to create a full collection with the retailer.
The 20 shortlisted designers will take part in the Debenhams Catwalk Show, which will be hosted on the opening night of Graduate Fashion Week (13th June). The catwalk show will be curated by the Debenhams team, showcasing the very best commercial collections produced by graduate designers at British universities that are members of the Graduate Fashion Foundation.
Last year saw Eleanor McMahon from The Manchester Fashion Institute crowned overall winner. But the judges were so impressed by the designs of Sonny Matthews and Ivy Chow, that all three were given a year-long contract at Debenhams and the chance to design their own exclusive design collections. Eleanor, Ivy and Sonny’s collections will go on sale this summer.
The winner of the award will join Debenhams at an exciting time for the brand, which is growing rapidly and has been transformed into Britain’s leading online department store since it was acquired in 2021.
Debenhams Group will also host an exclusive launch party and interactive pop-up for guests attending Graduate Fashion Week.
Dan Finley, CEO at Debenhams Group said: “The fashion industry is notoriously competitive and difficult to break into, which is why I’m proud to once again be supporting Graduate Fashion Week. Throughout its history, Debenhams has always been known for working with the very best British designers, and our partnership reflects our commitment to fostering the next generation of talent in fashion and design. Right now, some of the most exciting fashion is coming from emerging talent, pushing boundaries in ways we haven’t seen before—I can’t wait to see what they do next.”
Eleanor McMahon, winner of the “Designers at Debenhams Catwalk to Commercial” Award 2024, who is now preparing to launch her first collection at Debenhams said: “Graduate Fashion Week was a huge stepping stone for me. Getting the chance to work with a brand like Debenhams has given me so much insight into the industry and opened doors I never expected. Launching my own collection is just the beginning—I’m excited to see where this journey takes me next.”
Nicola Hitchens, Charity & Event Director at Graduate Fashion Foundation said; “We are thrilled to see the incredible support from Debenhams.com continue to grow to the new Debenhams Group. Our vital work in supporting emerging talent across the fashion industry couldn’t continue without the support of Debenhams this year. We are excited to see the headline partnership come to fruition across a plethora of engaging events and activations alongside incredible opportunities offered to our member universities graduates as they enter the industry.”
GFW will be hosted at The Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL from 13-16th June. Catwalk show tickets will be available to purchase from Monday here.
General Opening Times:
Friday 13th June 12.00 – 20:00
Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th – 9.30 – 20.00
Monday 16th June 09:30 – 15.00 (with VIP industry able to attend the 18.00 Best of GFW Gala Show)
