Fashion Awareness Direct

Name

Fashion Awareness Direct

Legal name

Fashion Awareness Direct

Website

https://fad.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Fashion Education and Charitable Programs

akta.pro primary industry

Fashion & Textile Arts (Sewing, Patternmaking, Knitting, Crochet) (EDAAAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate & Brand Event Styling (Product Launches, Activations) (HSACAOAN)

Keywords

• Fashion education programs
• Youth charity workshops
• Graduate fashion competition
• Creative industry mentoring
• London Fashion Week showcase

Headquarters

HQ city

City Of London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable/Non-profit Structure: FAD operates as a registered educational charity (Charity number 1112095) and does not generate revenue from products or services. The organization relies entirely on corporate sponsorships, donations, and grants to fund its programs for young people.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) is a registered UK educational charity that runs professional fashion workshops, competitions, and showcases for creative young people aged 13-25. Its core offerings include Saturday design workshops, multi-stage mentorships (Fashion Futures 1 & 2), an annual graduate fashion competition, a London Fashion Week catwalk showcase (Junior Awards), a Leadership Academy, and heritage embroidery projects, all funded through corporate sponsorships and grants.

Product overview

Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) is a registered educational charity (Charity number 1112095) running fashion education programs for 13-25 year olds in the UK. The organization operates several interconnected programs: the annual FAD Competition for university-level fashion students; Fashion Futures 1 and Fashion Futures 2 for secondary school and college students featuring Saturday workshops, summer schools, and industry experiences; the Junior Awards providing a catwalk showcase at London Fashion Week; the Leadership Academy for developing young leaders; and the New East London Embroiderers project exploring heritage through embroidery. Programs are supported by industry partners including George at Asda (sponsor since 2011), River Island, Harrods, and Mango. The FAD Blog provides a content platform for participant stories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fashion Futures: A program of Saturday workshops for 16-19 year olds teaching fashion design skills including research, draping, figure drawing, sewing, garment design, print, pattern cutting, and construction
• FAD Competition
• FAD Junior Awards
• Leadership Academy

Products and services

• FAD Competition (Graduate Fashion Competition) Annual nationwide fashion design competition for fashion students at UK colleges and universities, serving as a platform for emerging talent to showcase their work to industry professionals, retailers, and fashion houses.
• Fashion Futures 1 Saturday workshop program for 13-25 year olds teaching fashion design skills including research, garment design, technical drawing, pattern cutting, and construction, culminating in a showcase.
• Fashion Futures 2 (FF2) Advanced multi-stage program for 16-19 year olds featuring Saturday workshops, V&A museum research days, summer school at Central Saint Martins, industry workshops, industry visits (including international visits to cities like Barcelona), and a final showcase at London Fashion Week. Supported by George at Asda since 2011.
• FAD Junior Awards Annual awards ceremony and catwalk showcase for Fashion Futures 2 participants, held at prestigious venues such as Vauxhall Fashion Scout during London Fashion Week, where finalists present their garments to industry guests.
• Leadership Academy Program focused on developing leadership skills among young people involved in FAD projects, providing opportunities to take on mentoring and organizational roles.
• New East London Embroiderers (NELE) Embroidery project encouraging young people to explore British heritage and cultural identity through traditional stitching techniques. Participants created hand-embroidered garments showcased at venues including Kensington Palace and the Knitting & Stitching Show. Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 teenage finalists showcase at London Fashion Week annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• George at AsdacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011George at Asda has sponsored FAD Fashion Futures since 2011. Their financial support provides free workshop places for disadvantaged young people and funds the Fashion Futures final at London Fashion Week. The George design team actively volunteers time to FAD projects, speaking at career days, volunteering in workshops, and mentoring past Fashion Futures students. George is also headline sponsor of Graduate Fashion Week.
• River IslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiver Island has supported FAD by offering industry work placements to finalists. Design Director Naomi Dominique attended FAD events and offered placements to finalists from the 2008 Junior Awards onwards. River Island provides real-world industry experience for winning students.
• MangominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMango was FAD's retail partner for FF2 2008. Finalists visited Mango's design headquarters in Barcelona as part of the industry visit component of the program.
• Vauxhall Fashion ScoutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAD partnered with Vauxhall Fashion Scout to present the Junior Awards as part of their official off-schedule program at London Fashion Week. This gave young designers an opportunity to showcase at a high-profile venue to industry and press audiences.
• Fashion ScoutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFashion Scout hosts the annual Fashion Futures Final at Freemasons Hall in Covent Garden during London Fashion Week, providing a professional runway venue for teenage finalists.
• HarrodsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarrods supported the 6th FAD Competition as a sponsor and provided work placements for winners and runners-up.
• SelfridgesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelfridges participated as prize sponsor and placement provider for competition winners, with head of fashion Anna Garner serving on judging panels.
• Hackney Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkshop venue partner providing space for Fashion Futures Saturday workshops for students from north London boroughs.
• LeSoCominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkshop venue partner (formerly Lewisham College) providing space for Fashion Futures Saturday workshops for students from south London boroughs.
• V&A MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe V&A Museum provides launch day and research workshops for Fashion Futures students, inspiring design through their collection of fashion and decorative objects.
• University of East LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Fashion Futures Summer School workshops where finalists develop their designs for London Fashion Week.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• British Fashion Council: Industry body supporting the UK fashion sector, including talent development through the Fashion Trust and BFC Foundation. Comparable in mission to elevate young UK fashion talent but operates at industry-wide scale rather than as a youth-facing charity.
• Royal College of Art: UK postgraduate university specializing in art and design education. Comparable as a UK fashion education stakeholder, though operating at postgraduate research level rather than youth charity level.

Direct peers

• Create London: UK charity supporting young people's creative development and access to the creative industries. Comparable in using arts/cultural programs to address disadvantage among young people in London.
• Prince's Trust: Major UK youth charity supporting 11-30 year olds into education, training, and employment — including creative-sector pathways. Comparable as a large UK charity using corporate partnerships and structured programs to move disadvantaged youth into careers.
• Centre for Fashion Enterprise (London College of Fashion): University of the Arts London unit supporting emerging fashion designers and entrepreneurs through incubation, mentoring, and industry access. Comparable in providing young designers with industry exposure and skills development.
• Arts Emergency: UK charity pairing young people from underrepresented backgrounds with mentors in the arts and humanities. Comparable as a youth-focused charity using industry mentors to bridge disadvantaged young people into creative careers.

Others

• UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT): Industry trade body supporting UK fashion and textile companies. Comparable as a UK fashion sector support organization, though focused on industry competitiveness rather than youth education.

Emerging players

• National Youth Theatre: UK charity offering young people pathways into theatrical production and creative careers. Comparable as a youth-focused arts charity combining skills training, mentoring, and high-profile showcases.
• Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA): UK performing arts education institution with youth-access programs. Comparable in providing structured arts training for young people, though focused on drama rather than fashion design.
• The Sorrell Foundation: UK charity championing design education and creative opportunities for young people. Comparable in promoting design-led creative learning and entrepreneurship for disadvantaged youth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FashionAwarenessDirect
• Pinterestpinterest.com/fadcharity
• Xx.com/FADCharity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fad-charity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fashion Awareness Direct