TO MARKET, TO MARKET: Paul Smith’s Foundation fashion residency program, which aims to support emerging design talent, could join forces with television, film and arts organizations to form a cultural hub at Smithfield Market, a landmark in the City of London.
The foundation is already located at Smithfield Market, London’s largest wholesale meat market, and is hoping to remain on the premises, which span 500,000 square feet, even after the market’s planned move in 2028.
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According to Martha Mosse, director of Paul Smith’s Foundation, heads of the British Film Institute, BAFTA, and the Southbank Centre have all come together “to try and make a case for this to be a cultural hub.”
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Mosse said there are discussions with local government and the broader creative industries about the long-term plan for the premises beyond 2028. Some plans are already in place. The Museum of London, formerly located at London Wall, near the Barbican, will open at Smithfield Market later this year.
The fashion residency program, which launched in 2024, is already part of a wider cultural initiative in the City of London. It’s the fruit of a partnership between Paul Smith’s Foundation, the Mayor of London’s Space for Culture team, British GQ and Projekt, which provides mixed-use studio and office space for creatives.
As reported, the residency program was designed to address a gap in long-term support for early-stage fashion businesses, and offers a cohort of six designers an 18-month, rent-free studio alongside a comprehensive business and creative development program.
So far it has helped many of its designers gain traction. Pauline Dujancourt, a member of the first cohort, expanded her studio from 200 square feet to 900 square feet, and increased her team to eight employees.
Paolo Carzana, whose business originally relied on direct-to-consumer sales, custom-made orders, and celebrity dressing, picked up seven wholesale partners after completing the program.
The second cohort started at the beginning of February, and includes Masha Popova, Petra Fagerström, Harri, Eden Tan, Renata Brenha and Joyce Bao.
The residency is structured like a college course, with designers learning about law, financial management, product development, marketing, PR, digital strategy, merchandising and show production. Each designer is also paired with a mentor.
The program is evolving with designers recently introduced to Cloth3D, a digital pattern-cutting system aimed at reducing costs and improving sustainability. A new leadership module — developed in response to feedback from the first cohort — focuses on hiring processes and team management.