The world famous pioneer of handmade luxury shoes and Creative Director of JCA | London Fashion Academy, Professor Jimmy Choo OBE, invites aspiring fashion design innovators to develop their own unique style at his brand new Academy and Incubator.
Professor Jimmy Choo OBE and Zandra Rhodes at the @JCA x Patrick McDowell x MA Show
Prof. Jimmy Choo’s Mayfair based JCA | London Fashion Academy hosted its debut London Fashion Week City Wide MA show featuring 5 new designer entrepreneurs alongside JCA’s Designer in Residence, Patrick McDowell.
Attendees included Layton Williams, Ella Eyre, Isabella Charlotta, Chris Grave, Laura Pradelska and Leo Kalyan.
“Our London Fashion Week show has been a momentous occasion for us all at the JCA. Since officially opening our doors only one year ago in September 2021 we have nurtured our first graduating MA cohort from our home on Hanover Square. Opening our doors to the public one year on has been the perfect moment to celebrate the successes of these hugely talented designer entrepreneurs as they launch their new brands: Size-A, Melissa-Kate, Angels Wear Nada, Maryam Orchid and Sophie Park.” – Stephen Smith, Founder and CEO of the JCA.
Taking place across 3 storeys of the JCA’s Grade II Period Building, the show commenced at 6.30pm leading to a private party that took place at the Sketch’s glamorous cocktail lounge.
Showing first, British Fashion Designer Patrick McDowell unveiled his latest collection Marie Antoinette goes to Liverpool, merging the uncanny world of Marie Antoinette with his own Liverpudlian background. Opening the MA Show, Noon Khouri presented her nomadic, inclusive and up-cycled denim brand Angels Wear Nada, followed by Melissa-Kate, who showcased For the Love of Venus PT.III, the third capsule in a three-part, year-long series which delves into the spirituality, symbolism and conspiracies behind the planet Venus.luxury womenswear brand.
Afterwards, Annabelle Barton presented Size-A, a luxury womenswear brand born from the desire for creatively designed, luxury clothes that can fit a range of petite women, followed by Sophie Park showcasing the first collection of her eponymous plant-based gender-neutral footwear brand that fuses whimsical Wes Anderson-esque symmetry with the ambiguous silhouettes seen often in the work of Rei Kawakubo.
Patrick McDowell’s collection comprises 30 looks and draws from lighter pastel palettes that reflect Marie Antoinette’s preference for youth and femininity and strong bold shots of yellow and black. In ‘Marie Antoinette goes to Liverpool’ the designer experiments with varying proportions of waspy waistlines and bouffant skirts, blending these classic silhouettes with modern Liverpudlian twists. The prints from this collection have been created from family pictures of Patrick, his Mother and Grandmother in their childhood years, drawing on the element of personal storytelling that is integral to his design practice.
Patrick’s show “‘Marie Antoinette goes to Liverpool’ is a deeply personal expression of who I am and where I come from. I’ve doubled down on my sustainable ethos to create a collection that embodies peacock dressing for now. Working with amazing materials like Taroni silk, Manteco Wool, Tencel and Tencel Luxe has really given me room to expand my offering of special emotionally connected pieces. All the pieces are designed and made here in London with a low carbon footprint in mind. This collection is a big step forward for me as I take my brand into this new chapter. In many ways the show title reflects my own journey as a queer working class scouser to ‘The cake’; the affectionate term we have given to the incredible 5 story Georgian town house at 20 Hanover square where the JCA is located. Pastel colours and plaster work has been painstakingly restored to its former glory, perfectly setting the scene for the show.”
Annabelle Barton Size-A – luxury petite womenswear brand; @jca.ac.uk/
The JCA MA Graduates in Fashion Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation showing their collections included:
@Angels Wear Nada, an inviting upcycled denim brand, collaborative art project and experimental event space founded by Noon Khouri. She strives to produce clothes that are both comfortable and environmentally responsible. Angels Wear Nada is a nomadic brand where every piece is unique because the patchwork fabric is created using second-hand clothing that has been specially sourced with sutainability in mind. @jca.ac.uk
- Angels Wear Nada – an inclusive up-cycled denim brand, collaborative art project and experimental event space founded by Noon Khouri.
In Noon Khouri’s words, Angels Wear Nada “is the new eco-friendly alternative, battling the issue of landfills, one garment at a time. Manufacturing denim is one of the most unsustainable practices in the fashion industry, but we pride ourselves on challenging societal norms.”
@Melissa-Kate is a gorgeous feminine Demi couture womenswear brand created to empower women. @jca.ac.uk
- Melissa Kate – A demi-couture label that mixes themes of Hollywood Glamour, rock’n’roll and spirituality to create the look of the modern pin-up.
In Melissa-Kate’s words, her label is: “a world where the patriarchy doesn’t exist, influenced by the power of the divine feminine energy through witchcraft and pin-up style, hand crafted by a female for the feminine.”
Annabelle Barton Size-A – luxury petite womenswear brand; @jca.ac.uk/
- Size-A – A uniquely designed label for petite women by Annabelle Barton.
In Annabelle Barton’s words, Size-A offers ‘‘innovative, creative sets styled purposefully to enhance the ‘anti-fit’ look. Every garment is exclusively for petite women like myself who have struggled to find a luxury brand that fits our personal requirements.”
@Sophie Park at
- Sophie Park – a plant based, gender-neutral footwear brand bringing a range of innovative designs and ideas to the market.
In Sophie Park’s words, her label pairs: “stylistic originality with rigorous ethics” making it “the perfect collection for fashion-forward individuals who not only reach for their classic go-to staple shoes but also enjoy adding an avant-garde edge to their style by customising their pieces.”
“The first graduating cohort clearly illustrates the diversity and entrepreneurial ambitions of the programme with all 4 designers showcasing a myriad of creative business concepts through their design practice.” – commented Mark Eley.
After the show, Professor Jimmy Choo OBE hosted drinks at the JCA I London Fashion Academy, where french champagne by Moët & Chandon and sweets from Fortnum & Mason were served. Afterwards, VIP guests and designers were invited to Sketch’s cocktail lounge to further celebrate the show. Following JCA’s and Patrick McDowell’s commitment to sustainability, Ecologi planted a tree for each guest.
