London College of Fashion
London College of Fashion is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, offering undergraduate and postgraduate study, short courses and business training in fashion and related subjects. It moved to a purpose-built home in Stratford in 2023.
About the school
The college traces its origins to three early London trade schools for women, set up by the London County Council to train skilled workers in trades such as dressmaking, millinery, embroidery, tailoring and hairdressing: the Shoreditch Technical Institute Girls School (1906), the Barrett Street Trade School (1915) and the Clapham Trade School (1927).
These merged in stages into the London College for the Garment Trades in 1967, which was renamed London College of Fashion in 1974. It joined the London Institute, now the University of the Arts London, in 1986. Cordwainers College, a specialist school for leather-working, shoemaking and saddlery, merged with it in 2000.
The Stratford campus
Since 2023 the college has been based at 105 Carpenters Road in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The building was designed by Allies and Morrison to echo 19th-century mill buildings. It received a 2025 RIBA National Award and was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize.
Notable fashion alumni
- Jimmy Choo
- Maximilian Davis
- Ioana Ciolacu
At a glance
Origins
1906; named London College of Fashion in 1974
Location
East Bank, Stratford, London
Type
Public college, part of University of the Arts London
Known for
Fashion education from design to business and media
Sources: Wikipedia and the official site. Details can change, so check with the school before applying.
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