JCA London Fashion Academy partners with RElan CDC

JCA | London Fashion Academy has announced the R|Elan Circular Design Challenge (CDC), an initiative by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) in partnership with the United Nations in India, as its new thought leadership partner. The academy also revealed the second edition of its scholarship-supported MA Fashion Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation (Sustainability Capsule programme).

Prof Jimmy Choo’s Mayfair-based JCA | London Fashion Academy sets itself apart from other educational institutions by offering higher education with practice-based learning, London Fashion Week Shows, and retail opportunities as its core. The JCA is determined to create the next wave of fashion designers by consciously supporting their businesses from the day they arrive at the Academy.  

JCA | London Fashion Academy has partnered with the R|Elan Circular Design Challenge and the United Nations in India to launch its second MA Fashion Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation (Sustainability Capsule programme).
It supports sustainable fashion through scholarships and practical learning, culminating in a London Fashion Week show.

Building on the success of last year’s MA Sustainability Capsule programme, which launched several new, exciting, sustainable designers, JCA has renewed the scholarship programme for a second year. This year, the programme is supported by India’s largest sustainability award for circular fashion: CDC and the UK’s fastest-growing retail pop-up specialist, supporting sustainable and independent brands: Lone Design Club.

CDC is presented by R|Elan, the next-gen fabric brand from Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), in partnership with the United Nations in India. The United Nations in India, comprising 26 agencies, funds and programmes under the leadership of the UN resident coordinator, collectively supports the government of India and partners in achieving national development priorities and the sustainable development goals. For over six years, CDC’s vision has been to raise consciousness for sustainability and circular practices across every sector of the fashion industry. Since then, it has become India’s largest circularity and sustainability award giving the finalists the chance to appear at the Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI in late October, awarded with a monetary prize and mentorship.

This year, the international jury rounds successfully kick-started in Milan and the final meet concluded in Mumbai, India. Each of the jury sessions featured strong pitches from exceptional designers in front of an esteemed panel, who made the selections. The CDC finalists presenting at the upcoming edition of Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI in October are Wenyan Xu of Saltless for EU, Tsang Fan Yu for the APAC region, Silvia Acién of ACIEN for UK and Gautam Malik of Jaggery, Ritwik Khanna of RKive City and Chandini Batra of A Blunt Story from India.

“It is my pleasure to announce a landmark partnership that will drive the future of sustainable fashion forward. For over six years, the R|Elan Circular Design Challenge has been a beacon of innovation and environmental stewardship, with a mission to raise consciousness for sustainability and circular practices across every sector of the fashion industry,” Rakesh Bali, senior vice-president of Reliance Industries Limited, said.

“Today, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with JCA | London Fashion Academy. This collaboration will support the MA Sustainability Capsule programme at JCA, where students are dedicated towards sustainability and circularity in fashion. Together, we will inspire and empower our young designers to lead the way in green fashion, creating designs that are not only beautiful but also innovative and sustainable. We look forward to seeing the incredible work that will emerge from this partnership and the positive impact it will have on the global fashion landscape. Together, we aim to lead the future of circular fashion, inspiring our younger generation to create designs that are both beautiful and responsible,” added Bali.

The MA Fashion Entrepreneurship in Design and Brand Innovation (Sustainability Capsule programme) aims to identify, curate, and launch the very best sustainable designer entrepreneurs. With a clear focus on sustainable materials, business models, and creative practice. Throughout this one-year programme, learners (designated by the JCA as designer-entrepreneurs) will identify and develop their brand, design and make their founding collection, ready to be professionally launched at the Academy’s London Fashion Week show in September 2025. Crucially the programme will purposefully embrace a broad range of design paths, whether that be men’s, women’s, unisex, or fine tailoring, red carpet couture, bridal, lingerie, accessories, or footwear, the company said in a press release.

This design-led, practical course balances both business and vocational skills. JCA MA Learners will develop and sharpen a progressive and comprehensive range of personal, professional, and entrepreneurial skills. During the year-long programme, CDC will offer multiple workshops to the learners to help them develop their concepts and will share its expertise and knowledge in circularity and sustainability with emerging young designers at JCA.  

With government funding for UK applicants, funding for global scholarships, and the resources made available through the partnership, the programme is seeking to attract the very best sustainable design talent that will be supported to develop a commercially viable brand, create and manufacture its first collection, and be launched at London Fashion Week and be immediately available for purchase at Lone Design Club. 

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)