Paul Smith Foundation, The British Council & Projekt Launch Cross-Continental Fashion Exchange

Fashion

Paul Smith’s Foundation, The British Council and Projekt have announced Creative DNA x Studio Smithfield, a new peer-to-peer exchange programme bringing together fashion designers from the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa. Rooted in collaboration rather than hierarchy, the initiative is designed to foster long-term creative and professional relationships through shared learning, cultural exchange and sustained industry access.

The programme will see six designers: Solome Asfaw (Ethiopia), Renata Brenha (UK), Chido Kaseke (Zimbabwe), Bettydora Odhiambo (Kenya), Karoline Vitto (UK) and YAKU (UK), take up studios within The Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield in London. Alongside free studio space for up to 18 months, participants will receive structured mentorship from Paul Smith’s Foundation, production support throughout collection development, and direct access to buyers, press and industry leaders through studio visits and professional introductions. Commercial guidance will continue for six months after the programme concludes, reinforcing its long-term commitment to sustainable growth rather than short-term visibility.

At its core, Creative DNA x Studio Smithfield is positioned as an equal exchange. The programme places sustainability, traditional craftsmanship and digital innovation at the centre of its curriculum, blending hands-on practice with reflective learning and cultural immersion. Rather than a one-way transfer of skills, the initiative encourages designers to learn from one another’s markets, methodologies and cultural contexts, an approach that reflects a broader shift towards more considered, globally minded fashion systems.

The designers were selected through a closed call by a jury including representatives from the three partner organisations, alongside Ib Kamara, Creative Director of Off-White.

Speaking on the selection, Kamara noted the importance of cultural exchange in shaping the future of fashion, describing the residency as a vital space for emerging voices to grow through shared perspectives.

Backed by the Mayor of London and supported by the City of London Corporation and British GQ, the programme builds on the British Council’s Creative DNA legacy across Sub-Saharan Africa while reinforcing London’s position as a site for meaningful, cross-border creative dialogue, one grounded in mutual respect, sustainability and long-term impact.

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