International Circular Fashion Week & Conference

Aim

Imagining a more collaborative and circular fashion industry through the International Circular Fashion Week & Conference.

Fashion should belong to everyone. Help us make that possible.

Fashion is part of all our lives. We wear it, we create memories in it, and through it, we express who we are and where we come from.

Yet the fashion industry can feel like a world that only a few people can enter. Expensive shows, exclusive opportunities and limited access often leave talented designers, young creatives and communities on the outside.

We believe fashion can be different. And we believe everyone has something to contribute.

That's why we created the International Circular Fashion Week & Conference in Leeds.

Organised by Circular Fashion Incubator CIC, a Leeds-based not-for-profit organisation, our event brings together designers, artists, students, educators and communities from around the world.

We celebrate creativity, cultural heritage and traditional craftsmanship while exploring how we can give clothing and materials a longer life.

Because circular fashion isn't just about the environment. It's about people, skills, opportunities and the stories we carry with us.

It's about repairing rather than throwing away, learning from generations before us, sharing knowledge and making creativity accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or budget.

And now, we need your help to take this further.

We're raising £20,000 to help bring International Circular Fashion Week & Conference 2027 to life, creating more opportunities for emerging designers, students, makers and communities to learn, connect and showcase their work.

You don't need to be a designer or know anything about sustainable fashion to be part of this.

You just need to believe that creativity, opportunity and a better future for fashion should belong to everyone.

Help us build it together.

Circular Fashion Incubator CIC is a Leeds-based not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting circular fashion, sustainability, cultural heritage and creative education.

Our vision is to bring traditional craft and heritage skills, alongside community participation and transparency into mainstream fashion, creating a world where clothes aren’t just made for us, they are made by us and with us. We do this via shows, workshops, programmes, competitions and of course, the International Circular Fashion Week Show & Conference in Leeds. 

Following highly successful shows in 2025 & 2026, we are bringing International Circular Fashion Week & Conference to Leeds again for 2027. Our focus for the 2027 experience will be heritage, cultural identity and circular fashion, exploring how traditional garments and craft can be reimagined through circular design, and we want you to get involved.

Imagine an International fashion show built on collaboration instead of exclusivity, where the people making the clothes, wearing the clothes, and watching the show aren't separated by velvet rope, but are part of the same community effort. The good news is that this is just the start of what we want to achieve.

We are creating more opportunities for the next generation. By supporting creatives and students to get the experience they need to find their place in the fashion industry.

We’re empowering individuals with skills and knowledge. Circularity starts with you, rewearing, repairing and recycling what you have, so let’s have fun doing it!

We’re improving wellbeing by bringing creativity and the arts to more people in Leeds. Our workshops and events are bright and hopeful and draw in hundreds of people a year.

Alongside the fashion shows, ICFWC brings together panel discussions and talks with industry professionals, designers, academics and sustainability experts, exhibitions and installations, circular fashion workshops, educational activities, networking and opportunities for students and emerging creatives. We also use collaborative projects such as the Corset Revival Project to bring heritage craft, reuse and creative practice into the event.

The good news is that there are lots of ways for you to get involved too.

How can you get involved?

We will make the next show possible through crowdfunding. Producing a fashion show isn’t easy, or cheap and there's no single hidden sponsor bankrolling our work. But we are a passionate and dedicated team, committed to a fairer industry. Every pledge, big or small, has a direct hand in making this real. If you've never backed a campaign before, it's really simple. You choose an amount, you pledge it, and there are exciting rewards to pledge on - from a shoutout to a front-row seat.

How Your involvement will bring the show to life

By pledging or sharing this campaign, you help us to produce an exciting and inclusive event for the circular fashion community - and that includes you. We will use the money we raise here to;

• Support for designers and makers to develop and present their work.
• Produce the show, including; space, lights, seating, live music, models, make up artists and hair stylists, along with the amazing back stage team that make the event possible
• Accessibility and inclusion measures so everyone can take part.
• Create workshops, exhibitions and learning opportunities for students, emerging designers and local communities
• Reclaimed materials and resources for creative activities.

A Breakdown of what it costs to put on an amazing show

Production, staging, lighting and sound – £5,000

Models, hair, make-up and backstage team – £3,500

Designer and student support, materials and participation costs – £3,000

Workshops, exhibitions and installations – £2,500

Photography, videography and event documentation – £2,000

Marketing, print, signage and promotion – £1,500

Transport, insurance and contingency – £2,500

Total: £20,000

Whats next?

Once our crowdfunding campaign is successful, we'll begin bringing International Circular Fashion Week & Conference 2027 to life!

Although the event date hasn't been confirmed yet, we're already excited about what we're planning.

Our next steps will include inviting designers and creatives to take part, developing our programme of talks, workshops and exhibitions, and bringing together the models, volunteers and production teams who make the event possible.

We'll also be working closely with students, educational institutions and community partners to create more opportunities for people to get involved.

We'll keep our supporters updated throughout the journey, from the first preparations to the final runway show.

Your support will help us turn these plans into something special, and we can't wait to share it with you!

Our Long Term Goals 

Our vision goes far beyond a two-day event. We want International Circular Fashion Week & Conference to become an international platform that creates lasting opportunities for emerging designers, students and communities.

We want to open doors for people who may otherwise struggle to find their place in the fashion industry, while preserving traditional craft skills, celebrating cultural heritage and encouraging more people to repair, reuse and reimagine clothing.

By connecting education, industry and communities, we hope to build meaningful partnerships, encourage international collaboration and make circular fashion part of everyday life.

For us, this is about more than fashion. It's about people, opportunities and creating a better future together

About Circular Fashion Incubator

Circular Fashion Incubator CIC is a Leeds-based social enterprise led by Directors Andrea Benahmed-Djilali and Dr Esther Pugh.

Since 2024, we've been bringing together designers, students, artists, educators and communities who believe fashion can be more sustainable, inclusive and creative.

Through fashion shows, workshops, exhibitions and educational projects, we create opportunities for people to develop their skills, share their stories and explore new possibilities through circular fashion.

Our 2026 International Circular Fashion Week & Conference brought together:

• 150 corsets donated, with 76 exhibited
• 76 creatives from more than 11 countries
• Around 500 visitors
• Two fashion shows
• 93.1 kg of preloved clothing sold through our Oxfam pop-up
• 27.2 kg of clothing donated

These achievements were made possible through collaboration, creativity and the generosity of people who believed in what we were building.

“Being part of Circular Fashion Incubator was a turning point for me, helping to build my confidence, visibility and sustainable business growth.”

— Designer / Founder, Rambling Clo  

Now we want to take the next step together.

So come and be a part of a circular fashion evolution that is happening because of you, not in spite of you. By pledging and sharing, you are directly contributing to a fairer, more environmentally friendly fashion industry and world. One where everyone’s voice matters, creativity is celebrated and we have fun doing it. 

Loved every minute and very proud to be part of the event and support sustainable fashion —  Model / Julia McGoldrick 

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 7th December 2026 at 8:43am