LFW, WeWork launch fashion incubation programme

To support the young talent and provide them with relevant opportunities to grow within the fashion industry, Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) has partnered with WeWork and IMG Reliance for a fashion incubation programme. This initiative promises to accelerate growth with opportunities to network and learn from peers in diverse fields of creativity and business.

The Fashion Incubation Program is a natural extension of WeWork’s mission to empower creators. It stems from the idea of creating a fashion and design hub, where upcoming creative entrepreneurs will be given the chance to turn their ideas into reality at the WeWork office spaces, through much-needed infrastructure and networking opportunities.

The key objective of the programme is to help young designers to be part of a larger progressive movement that WeWork provides with access to cross industry learning which is missing in the fashion industry. This is an exclusive opportunity for young designers to access space at WeWork in Mumbai or Gurgaon for a period of three months.

The programme will run in parallel across Mumbai and Gurgaon with 80 designers who would be given the opportunity to use the WeWork space. The programme will run for a year till February next year in 4 batches of 20 designers each

Speaking on the launch of the initiative at Lakme Fashion Week, designer Payal Singhal said, “It’s a fantastic opportunity for designers. Mumbai is constantly battling with issues like lack of space and high rentals that hinder businesses from kick starting. As we face these problems in the city, it is amazing for WeWork to give designers this opportunity which allows the space and time to build their business. WeWork is also an interesting co-working space that allows individuals to interact with people from different industries; thereby allowing professionals to expand their social network. It is an initiative that is the need of the hour and we couldn’t be happier about it.”

“A fun, collaborative workspace – WeWork – resonates with Lakmé Fashion Week’s idea of providing upcoming talent with ample opportunities to grow, create and excel. Through this partnership, LFW aims at taking yet another step toward helping the next generation of fashion talent with a workspace that allows creativity to flow & pathbreaking ideas to manifest without worrying about the necessities,” said Jaspreet Chandok, head of fashion at IMG Reliance.

“WeWork is a platform for creators and we truly believe in offering a holistic creative experience in our workspaces. By partnering with Lakme Fashion Week for this incubation program, we believe that we are nurturing and encouraging some of the best creative minds that will go on to do their best work and will inspire our member community. As an integral part of the WeWork experience, our goal is to support and inspire our community in the best possible manner,” said Ryan Bennett, General Manager, WeWork India.