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“When Riopele was invited to take part in this project, the decision was immediate. In addition to wanting to support young talents in standing out in a universe as competitive as it is passionate — the fashion world — we deeply believe in the purpose of this initiative: fashion must be decentralized. Riopele itself is located in the North of Portugal — and has long been a company of the world,”
emphasizes Francisca Oliveira, Business Development Manager at Riopele.
With the mission of decentralizing the British fashion industry and breaking the notion that talent is concentrated only in London, the initiative — led by Andrew Ibi (Liverpool John Moores University) and Sam Hudson-Miles (Leeds Beckett University) — aims to respond to the challenges of contemporary education and calls for a more inclusive, representative, and regionally diverse fashion scene.
Thus, the inaugural event of Fashion Alliance North — an inter-institutional, inter-regional, student-centered platform with Riopele as a partner — will be held at the Leeds School of Arts, part of Leeds Beckett University. The gathering will include live fashion shows, as well as screenings of fashion films and artistic direction projects developed by students from both universities.
The presentations will be organized by style and theme, rather than by university, extending an open invitation to other educational institutions to join Fashion Alliance North. The goal is to grow the initiative to include six universities, with one northern UK city hosting the event each year.
With the support of Sarah Mower, MBE, Fashion Alliance North is currently in discussions with McQueen, Burberry, and the British Fashion Council for institutional support and recognition.