Fashion and Textile Museum

What Fashion and Textile Museum does

The Fashion and Textile Museum is a London-based non-profit cultural institution founded in 2003 by Dame Zandra Rhodes and operated by Newham College since 2007. It is the only UK museum dedicated to contemporary fashion and textile design, located in a Ricardo Legorreta-designed building at 83 Bermondsey Street, Bermondsey Village. The museum's core offering is a rotating programme of temporary exhibitions featuring British and international designers — currently 'Paint! Pattern! Print!' (Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell) and the upcoming Ossie Clark / Celia Birtwell exhibition (October 2026–April 2027) — supported by a permanent collection of 20th-century fashion and textiles including pieces from Dior, Balenciaga, Biba, Mary Quant, and Vivienne Westwood, plus recently acquired Wendy Dagworthy and Orla Kiely archives.

The museum generates revenue through seven distinct streams: exhibition ticket sales (£6.33–£12.65), paid workshops and courses (£25–£135), venue hire (£160–£1,000/day across multiple spaces), a curated retail shop, gift vouchers (valid 12 months), donations, and touring exhibition licensing to UK and international venues (operating since 2010). Distribution channels include physical visits (Tuesday–Saturday, 11:00–18:00), Digitickets for online bookings, group and school bookings, corporate venue hire, museum shop, On Demand streaming via YouTube, and touring exhibitions globally.

The technology stack is standard and non-proprietary: Digitickets for ticketing, Mailchimp for newsletters, Google Analytics for traffic measurement, YouTube for streaming, and social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook) for engagement. The museum maintains strategic partnerships with Newham College (operating partner), University of the Arts London (creative collaborations), and Selvedge (London Textile Month). Customer segments are diverse — general public, families, schools, higher education, corporate clients, and researchers — with no reliance on any single account. Recent strategic emphasis has been on diversifying digital engagement (On Demand programme) and expanding the permanent collection through archive acquisitions.

Name

Fashion and Textile Museum

Legal name

Fashion and Textile Museum

Website

https://fashiontextilemuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Fashion and Textile Museum, founded in 2003 by Dame Zandra Rhodes and operated by Newham College since 2007, is the UK's only museum dedicated to contemporary fashion and textile design. It serves general public visitors, schools, families, and corporate clients through rotating exhibitions, paid workshops, venue hire, and a touring exhibitions programme from its Bermondsey, London location.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Museum / Fashion and Textile Heritage

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Textile & Fiber Arts Classes (Weaving, Knitting, Embroidery, Dyeing) (THAJAKAB)

Keywords

• Fashion exhibitions
• Textile design education
• Cultural venue hire
• Creative workshops
• Touring museum exhibits

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Tickets: The museum generates primary revenue from exhibition ticket sales. Visitors purchase advance tickets online or at the door for temporary exhibitions. Ticket prices vary by age category and include optional donation component.
2. Venue Hire: The museum rents out multiple spaces including The Workroom, Fashion Studio, IT Training Suite, and Gallery for events, meetings, launches, and seminars. Spaces can be hired separately or jointly with hourly, half-day, and full-day rates available.
3. Workshops and Courses: The museum offers paid workshops including silk painting, hand-painted patterns, subversive stitching, and Copy Your Clothes sessions. Additional educational courses in fashion drawing, digital design, and Young Designers programmes are available. Workshop fees include materials and exhibition entry.
4. Museum Shop: The museum operates a retail shop offering a curated selection of books, gifts, and accessories from up-and-coming and established designers and authors.
5. Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers can be purchased for any value, valid for 12 months, redeemable against exhibition tickets, courses, workshops, events, and shop purchases.
6. Donations: The museum receives donations from visitors, learners, and supporters. Most income derives from visitors and supporters, with donations supporting exhibitions, education, volunteer programmes, digital programmes, and collection conservation.
7. Touring Exhibitions: The museum tours its exhibition programme internationally since 2010, hiring out exhibitions to other venues and institutions. The museum provides support in planning, installation, marketing, and retail for touring partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Fashion and Textile Museum is a non-profit cultural institution that curates and stages rotating exhibitions of contemporary fashion and textile design alongside a paid programme of hands-on creative workshops, educational group visits, On Demand streamed talks, and venue hire of its distinctive Ricardo Legorreta-designed building in Bermondsey Village, London. Founded in 2003 by Dame Zandra Rhodes and operated by Newham College since 2007, the museum combines exhibition ticket sales, workshops, retail, donations, and touring exhibition licensing as its primary offerings.

Product overview

The Fashion and Textile Museum is a cultural institution offering a platform for contemporary fashion and textile design. Its core offering is a rotating programme of temporary exhibitions featuring British and international designers, artists, and brands—currently including 'Paint! Pattern! Print!' celebrating Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell, and the upcoming 'Ossie Clark / Celia Birtwell'. The museum complements exhibitions with an extensive workshops programme including fabric painting, silk painting, and fashion design workshops taught by industry professionals; educational group visits with guided tours and hands-on sessions; On Demand streaming of talks and lectures via YouTube; and venue hire of its distinctive Ricardo Legorreta-designed building spaces. The museum was founded in 2003 by Dame Zandra Rhodes and has been operated by Newham College since 2007, hosting over 30 major exhibitions and offering touring exhibition hire to UK and international venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paint! Pattern! Print! The Textiles of Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell Current main exhibition showcasing the work of textile designers Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell, exploring their creative journey from initial brush strokes to finished textiles, fashion, and homeware. Open to general public visitors with admission tickets.
• Ossie Clark / Celia Birtwell Exhibition Upcoming major exhibition (2 Oct 2026 to 11 Apr 2027) exploring the life and work of fashion designer Ossie Clark and his collaborator Celia Birtwell, whose visionary designs and prints shaped 1960s and early 1970s fashion.
• The Material Heart: Front Line to Home Front Display revealing two rare private collections of pin-stuck cushions dating from before and during the First World War (1914-18), created by Amy de la Haye and Simon Costin.
• Workshops Programme Artistic, craft, and dressmaking sessions delivered by artists and industry professionals including silk painting, hand-painted patterns, subversive stitching, fabric painting, and fashion drawing workshops, with fees including materials and exhibition entry.
• On Demand Streaming Programme Library of recorded talks, lectures, and panel discussions streamed via YouTube covering fashion history, designer profiles, and industry topics; funds raised support museum operations and extend reach beyond physical visitors.
• Online Talks Live online talks programme featuring experts, designers, and curators with live Q&A sessions delivered from home.
• Venue Hire Hire of museum spaces including The Workroom (50 capacity, £160/hour), Fashion Studio (100 capacity, £200/hour), IT Training Suite (15 workstations, £160/hour, equipped with Adobe Creative Suite), and Gallery (250-350 capacity, pricing on request, licensed until 11pm) for corporate events, product launches, private parties, seminars, and meetings.
• Touring Exhibitions Exhibition hire programme touring UK and international venues since 2010, offering partner venues support in planning, installation, marketing, and retail operations.
• Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers available in any value, valid for 12 months, redeemable for exhibition tickets, courses, workshops, events, and shop purchases.
• Group Visits and School Workshops Educational group visit programme offering Exhibition Highlights Tours (£80), Assistant Curator Tours (£250), Head of Exhibitions Tours (£500), Primary School Highlights Tours (£60), Fashion Drawing and Fashion Collection workshops for ages 7-12 and 13+, and Couture Inside Out Handling Sessions (£750 for up to 15 persons) examining Dior, Chanel, and Balenciaga garments.
• Museum Shop Curated selection of books, gifts, and accessories featuring up-and-coming and established designers and authors, available during museum opening hours and online through the Digitickets shop.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Newham CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Newham College, one of Europe's largest further education colleges, has operated the Fashion and Textile Museum since 2007. Under the college's ownership, the museum has broadened its mission and staged over 30 major exhibitions. Students from Newham College work with University of the Arts London on creative response projects.
• University of the Arts LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from Newham College, working with University of the Arts London, have developed a creative response to The Material Heart display around the theme of message making, with some examples exhibited at the museum.
• SelvedgeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe museum participates in Selvedge's London Textile Month 2026, with a Curator Tour event featuring textile designer Sarah Campbell and design historian Teresa Collenette. Tickets sold through Selvedge website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology): The Museum at FIT in New York is a direct peer: a fashion-focused museum affiliated with an educational institution, presenting rotating exhibitions of fashion and textile design. Both institutions combine museum operations with educational programming rooted in a college partnership.
• MoMu (ModeMuseum) Antwerp: Antwerp's fashion museum showcasing Belgian and international fashion design with rotating exhibitions and educational programming. Closely comparable niche positioning, exhibition cadence, and fashion-only focus.
• Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD Paris): Paris museum dedicated to decorative arts, fashion, and textiles with rotating exhibitions and a permanent collection. Direct peer in fashion/textile museum category, though broader in scope across decorative arts.
• Museo del Tessuto (Textile Museum, Prato): Italy's textile museum in Prato showcasing textile history, contemporary textile design, and fashion through rotating exhibitions. Directly comparable as a niche textile-focused museum with educational programming.
• Palais Galliera: Paris's fashion museum operated by the city of Paris, presenting rotating exhibitions on fashion history and design. Directly comparable as a fashion-specific museum with exhibition-only programming and no permanent collection display.

Broad incumbents

• Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum: New York's Smithsonian design museum with fashion, textiles, and decorative arts collections plus ticketed temporary exhibitions. Comparable as a design-focused museum with fashion/textile programming and educational mission.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Costume Institute): The Met's Costume Institute stages major fashion exhibitions (e.g., the annual Met Gala). A broader incumbent with a much larger collection and global brand, but the Costume Institute division is a direct category comparable for fashion exhibition programming.
• Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A): London's major decorative arts and design museum with significant fashion and textile collections (including the V&A East Storehouse). Far larger and broader in scope, with free general admission — a dominant London incumbent that competes for fashion/textile audiences.
• Design Museum London: London's leading contemporary design museum with paid exhibitions covering fashion, product, and graphic design. Comparable as a London paid-exhibition design institution, though broader in remit and more product/furniture focused.

Emerging players

• Textile Arts Center: New York-based nonprofit offering textile arts classes, workshops, and artist residencies. Comparable as an emerging textile-arts education provider with workshop programming, though smaller and without a museum component.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fashionandtextilemuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/fashiontextilemuseum
• Xx.com/fashiontextile
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fashion-and-textile-museum

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fashion and Textile Museum