The forward-looking link-up between Leeds Beckett University (LBU) and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) will be launched at June’s annual graduate fashion show at LBU.

Fashion Alliance North is the brainchild of Andrew Ibi (Fashion programme and department lead at LJMU) and Sam Hudson-Miles (Course Director for Fashion, LBU), aiming to push British fashion to think more broadly and inclusively when it comes to engaging, supporting and building confidence in regional talent.

By combining the skills and promise of two major Northern cities, Andrew and Sam hope to de-centre elite ideas about fashion, dispelling the myth that all the talent is based in London. They aim to grow the alliance by joining up with other Northern universities for shared fashion shows and events.

With the alliance having been championed by Sarah Mower MBE, Fashion Alliance North are currently in conversation with Alexander McQueen, Burberry and the British Fashion Council about industry support and endorsement.

Sam Hudson-Miles: “We’re dedicated to supporting our fashion graduates about to enter the industry through an inclusive approach to our students’ cultural ownership of their Northern heritage. We’re connecting and uniting leading thinkers, fashion academics and the fashion industry. The future for our Northern fashion graduates is here – genuinely student-centric, celebratory and democratic, Fashion Alliance North is the new trailblazer.”

Andrew Ibi: “Fashion and our British cultural perspectives are being challenged – the North has its own energy and vibe and contributes immense talent to the global fashion conversation. Historically it has been instrumental in shaping British fashion style, culture and identities.”

Matty Bovan is already championing the project, “It’s very exciting for me to support Fashion Alliance North, especially through my role as Professor of Fashion at Leeds Beckett University, and through my brand, Matty Bovan, which has been based in York since 2016. It’s important for me to showcase the North as the dynamic, creative, exciting place that I know and love – it’s a place with a lot of creative talent”.

The annual Graduate Fashion Show is set for 5pm-8pm, Friday 6 June 2025, at The Leeds School of Arts. The show, attended by big names from the fashion industry such as Burberry and Alexander McQueen, is an opportunity for students to present their collections with a professional runway show in front of invited guests. The launch of Fashion Alliance North on the same evening as the show underlines the strength and importance of the collaboration between LBU and Liverpool John Moores.