I’m incredibly excited to share that I have been selected to take part in the 2026/2027 edition of FASHION X CRAFT, a programme by Fashion Council Germany in partnership with The King’s Foundation.
This October, I’ll be travelling to Germany to take part in a three week crafts residency in Brandenburg, alongside a group of emerging fashion and textile designers from the UK and Germany.
For me, this opportunity feels like much more than simply learning new techniques. It is an opportunity to return to the part of fashion that first inspired me: making, experimenting and creating with my hands.
Stepping away from the business
Since founding my brand, so much of my time has naturally become focused on the business side of fashion. Production, finances, wholesale, marketing, logistics, emails and the endless list of things that come with running an independent fashion brand.
While I love building my business, I’ve increasingly felt the need to create space for the designer in me again.
FASHION X CRAFT gives me the opportunity to step away from some of that day-to-day responsibility and properly immerse myself in creativity. I’m looking forward to slowing down, experimenting without necessarily knowing the outcome and allowing myself to learn through making.
I hope this will help me develop a more holistic approach to my practice and bring new ideas back into my work and my brand.
Exploring the relationship between fashion and craft
FASHION X CRAFT was launched in 2022 by Fashion Council Germany in partnership with The King’s Foundation. The programme supports fashion and textile designers in exploring artisanal techniques, sustainable resources, craftsmanship and innovation, with the aim of developing new approaches that go beyond traditional fashion and textile production.
The 2026/2027 edition includes a three week crafts residency in Brandenburg from 5–26 October, followed by a design development phase with mentoring and webinars. The programme will culminate in presentations of the resulting work during Berlin Fashion Week and later in the UK.
What particularly excites me is the opportunity to explore techniques and processes that sit outside my usual way of working.
My own practice has always been rooted in textiles. I work from my sketchbooks, photographs, drawings and memories, developing these into prints and textiles that eventually become garments. Craft has always been part of that process, but I’m excited to push that relationship further and discover how unfamiliar techniques might influence the way I design.
Learning through making
There is something really valuable about being placed in an environment where you are encouraged to learn, experiment and make without immediately thinking about the commercial outcome.
As a designer and business owner, I’m often thinking about whether something can be produced, how much it will cost, how it will sell and how it fits within the wider brand.
This residency gives me permission to think differently.
I want to be curious.
I want to try things that might not work.
I want to learn from craftspeople and other designers.
And I want to see what happens when I give myself the time and space to explore.
I’m particularly interested in how traditional craft techniques can coexist with contemporary fashion and how working with sustainable resources can inspire new ways of designing rather than simply being an additional consideration at the end of the process.
A new perspective
One of the things I value most about being a designer is that there is always more to learn.
My background spans fashion design, textiles, print, teaching and running my own independent brand, and each experience has shaped the way I approach creativity. I see FASHION X CRAFT as another opportunity to expand that perspective.
I’m looking forward to meeting the other designers involved, learning from the craftspeople and mentors involved in the programme, experiencing a different creative environment and seeing how being immersed in craft might influence my own work.
Most importantly, I’m excited to create simply for the sake of exploring.
I don’t know exactly what I’ll make yet, and I think that is part of the excitement.
I’m heading to Germany with an open mind and a sketchbook, ready to learn, experiment and see where the process takes me.
Here’s to a new chapter in my creative practice. 🇬🇧 🇩🇪
Isabelle x
