Leeds’ student fashion scene needs more airtime

Commonly associated with its vibrant music scene, Leeds is a student haven where partygoers dance to house well into the early hours of the morning. Lesser known to those outside the city, however, there’s an equally impressive fashion landscape, well adept at churning out a series of young and bright creatives. This underground network of fashion forward thinkers works hard to make their visions tangible. They enlist the help of like-minded friends and colleagues, opting for those who share an understanding of the north’s innate grunge. Everyone knows everyone, and anyone can become a model at any time. Biochemistry students do photoshoots and business students walk runways. This welcoming attitude means the scene is expanding. It’s not all about building portfolios and fulfilling deadlines. It’s fun. It’s expression. But it’s also overlooked.

Lily Mae Dalleau-White, a visual communication student and model, was torn between Leeds and London when her time came to head to university. Ultimately, she chose the former after considering the capital’s steep living costs. This is a sentiment shared by many creatives in Leeds. While fleeing to London and being picked up by a major brand or publication is often the dream for flourishing fashionistas, it’s often not feasible. According to rental company Uncle, living in London is around three times more expensive than settling in Leeds. While the creative flare in Leeds’ student population is the same, the capital offers a much wider range of opportunities, meaning those who can’t afford the move miss out.

But all is not lost — Leeds offers a different kind of fulfillment. “In Leeds, the connections I make with people are a lot tighter,” Dalleau-White says. “And everyone just wants to help each other build up portfolios or just bring their visions to life.” She goes on to describe the excitement bubbling in the scene — how the inspiration comes from everywhere and people are eager to form meaningful connections, which makes the projects they produce — such as shoots for vintage shops like COW — all the more special. Photographers reach out to models and music plays out on set. Everyone has fun. 

Though the city is not short of collaborators (and Leeds’ universities offer ample resources), it’s the industry access that is missing. “Big things that happen in the fashion and creative world are always based in London,” Dalleau-White says. “It’s such a shame because there is so much talent and creativity in the north.” The student-slash-model’s sentiments are reflected in the stats — while funding and mentorship opportunities like the British Fashion Council’s scholarships are technically open to fashion design students nationwide, only four out of the current twenty-six scholars are from non-London-based universities. Seventeen of them are from Central Saint Martins.

This is a challenge that burgeoning fashion photographer Tilly Buckton has fortunately been able to tackle. She was able to enlarge her network after captivating at the city’s annual Raise and Give Fashion show, where young creatives around the country are sought out to both showcase their work and raise money for charity. Nevertheless, she agrees that those in Leeds do not get the recognition or access they deserve. “Leeds is really on the up, it’s a bit of an underdog,” she says. “People don’t realise how much is going on.” As a result, the funding just isn’t there — Buckton highlights the lack of paid opportunities, having worked for free for most of her final year.

Fashion funding is a widespread issue, even outside Leeds. The UK industry is still suffering from factors like Brexit, Covid and now likely President Trump’s tariffs. Production and exhibition costs are increasing, adding insult to injury for an industry that’s already hard to break into. This scarcity is then aggravated for non-London-based creatives, with those in the capital more likely to gain grants and funding.

The same applies for facilities. Floss Tuppen, owner of up-and-coming fashion label Fings, touched on how she’s not had the same access to contributors and facilities being based in the north, and the difficulties of accessing industry events. “All the experiences I’ve had in the proper industry, and paid experiences, I’ve had to commute to London,” she says. “But at the same time, I have gained them while living in Leeds full time, but I’ve been in the position where I have to pay for the commute.” Tuppen believes the city’s collaborative nature offers ample opportunity in terms of expressing individual creativity, but when it comes to starting your career and gaining the funding, it must be sought elsewhere. Sometimes it seems like a move to London is inevitable whether you can afford it or not.

Like many Leeds students, Tuppen has been successful in enlisting local support, celebrating her brand’s two year anniversary at Hyde Park Book Club, a student favourite. Her artistic friends shoot and model for her and she can liaise with other small businesses around her. “There’s a really strong sense of community,” she says. “I’ve met other small businesses at markets and pop-ups, and it feels like a welcome space for everyone and everyone’s celebrated.” In the three years Floss has spent in Leeds, she’s watched as this space has expanded — alongside Fings, other student labels have emerged like unwind tees, known for their bright, graphic-print creations and Tousan.inc, a menswear brand focused on streetwear. Like Fings, these Leeds-based businesses utilise local talent and the student settings of Hyde park to promote their clothing. But vitally, their growth has been based on passion, rather than just proximity.

The student fashion scene is a cut-throat and oversaturated market wherever you look. But at least in the capital, students are in the thick of the action — the designers have their studios here. It’s where Fashion Week is held. Lots of London-based students manage to nab jobs with established designers. Some even manage to get involved with LFW. And depending where they party, they might rub shoulders with people who can make them a somebody — or at least connect them with someone that can. Nevertheless, Leeds’ student fashion scene has managed to grow all on its own (or, rather, thanks to the hard work of those in it) — but imagine what could happen if the north had just a fraction of the same opportunities as the capital.