JCA’s rooftop MA show will bring fresh voices to London Fashion Week

This week, the JCA | London Fashion Academy returns with its fourth annual MA show, a showcase of boundary pushing design, brand innovation and sustainable practice from its graduating cohort. Slated for Friday 19 September, the event will be staged at the newly opened rooftop beach club in White City Living, in partnership with St James, part of the Berkeley Group. The location choice follows last year’s successful collaboration, the JCA Retail Gallery and the Reflections fashion show in November, which signalled JCA’s growing ambition to heighten visibility for emerging designers.

Lucy Choi, Director of JCA, said in a statement: “This year, the work our Master’s students have produced is truly outstanding. Each brand or collection is distinct, which is something we actively encourage at JCA. We pride ourselves on not having a house style, instead we offer a curriculum that empowers designers to bring their creativity to the forefront without compromising craftsmanship. I’m also very excited to be partnering once again with St James, part of the Berkeley Group for this year’s show.”

Graduating designers reflect a changing fashion landscape

This year, five designers will present their MA collections: Elle Curzon, Grace Emerson, Jasmyn Lopuszansky, Patricia Reis and Sophie Hollands. Each offers a unique fusion of sustainable materials, gender inclusivity or social commentary, a reflection of the pressures and opportunities shaping fashion today.

• Elle Curzon introduces 3113, her gender inclusive couture label, using more than 80 to 90 percent upcycled materials. The debut collection, London Is Falling Down, addresses male emotional suppression such as addiction, alcoholism and male suicide through garments that blend feminine silhouette and sculptural urgency.

• Grace Emerson with Rethreaded rethreads damaged and discarded textiles into menswear and accessories, celebrating imperfection and craftsmanship.

• Jasmyn Lopuszansky with Lopuszansky foregrounds functionality and texture, especially advocating visibility and inclusion for visually impaired wearers.

• Patricia Reis with Trixa reimagines corporate tailoring, embedding provocative lingerie details into traditionally male archetypes.

• Sophie Hollands with A Bare C is inspired by the sharp contrast of nature and urban form, creating outerwear and relaxed tailoring engineered for adaptability, durability and expression.

Why graduating shows matter for brands and industry

The JCA MA show is more than a graduation rite. It arrives in a context where the UK fashion and textile sector is under both strain and scrutiny. According to the United Kingdom Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) the industry generates about 62 billion pounds annually and supports approximately 1.3 million jobs.

Within this economy, graduates are entering a marketplace that increasingly rewards sustainability and innovation, but also demands business acumen, brand identity and relevance. Education programmes like JCA’s, which emphasise entrepreneurship, technical skill and individual voice, are better placed to equip designers for this climate.

This industry shift is not just aesthetic. UKFT events, such as the Education Partner Network meeting in early 2024, have flagged skill shortages, demand for circular economy skills and the importance of aligning educational outcomes with evolving employer needs.

What to expect and what to watch

JCA’s fourth MA show carries high expectations. A few things to watch include how diffusion or accessible pieces perform compared with couture presentations because commercial viability often depends on reaching broader audiences. The strength of storytelling in the collections such as emotional resonance, social relevance and the ability to connect beyond novelty. Sustainability metrics - not just the proportion of upcycled materials as Curzon’s more than 80 to 90 percent, but durability, production ethics and aftercare. Whether the partnership with St James and visibility in a premium location translates into long term commercial opportunities for graduates.

At its heart, this MA show represents a microcosm of what fashion is becoming, less about defined labels, more about identity, materials and message. For today’s emerging designers, the runway is no longer purely spectacle, it is a business launch pad.