In front of a celebrity audience, the seven designers each had their own dedicated room to display their collections, with each space “thoughtfully designed to immerse attendees in the designer’s unique vision”.

As is the way with many of the fashion-linked events coinciding Frieze, it was as much about the social experience as the business side (hence the celebrity audience), and also further underlined just how important Frieze has become to the high-end fashion sector.

We asked Stephen Smith, founder and CEO of the JCA, just what’s so important about Frieze and he highlighted the link between fashion, art and design.

The link-up “started as a happy accident as our courses started late this year but put quite simply: we are an Art School,” he explained.  

“At the very heart of JCA is what you might find back in the 60s or latterly in the 90s when the old Art School approach was at its height for both learning and professional development. This year we have previewed our emerging designers during London Fashion Week and are now formally launching them through Frieze 23.

“Our approach to fashion is through the lens of 'Design Entrepreneurship' in that we want our designers to be both innovative and artistically brilliant whilst also, at the same time, aware of the commercial imperatives of sustaining their design practice.”

But why choose to launch these collections in this way during Frieze rather than during London Fashion Week?

“LFW and Frieze present different audiences with a shared interest,” Smith added. As an Academy, with our vested interest in our upcoming designers, we wanted to embrace both festivals and ensure that we maximise exposure in both London and overseas.”

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