SMILE: Celebrating joy and laughter at LCF
- Written byLondon College of Fashion
- Published date 16 December 2025
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Calling all London College of Fashion students and staff! Regardless of your course, year, or department, we want to hear from you.
To celebrate this April Fool’s Day on 1 April and World Laughter Day on 3 May, LCF is creating a series of vibrant visual assets with one simple mission: to make people smile.
We’re celebrating joy, humour, and the magic of laughter. To do this, we need your creativity. The work will span moving-image formats, including film, animation, photo GIFs, and short-form reels.
Fashion is no laughing matter, but it brings happiness in all sorts of ways. Fashion’s funny bone is evident throughout history. Most recently, it is stylishly expressed in the house originally established by Elsa Schiaparelli (1), now headed by Daniel Roseberry. Other examples of fashion humour can be seen in the history of Moschino (2), in Jean Paul Gaultier’s (3) mischievous design DNA, and occasionally in the work of Viktor & Rolf (4).
Demna’s (5) tongue-in-cheek Lays crisp for Balenciaga, the beaming brilliance of Celine Kwan’s (6) puffed florals, and Bad Binch TONGTONG’s (7) sculpted octopus-like shapes all exemplify this spirit. So does the vivid, often happily spirited anthropological work of Walter Van Beirendonck (8). Adding to the joy are personalities like Iris Apfel (9) and the socialite persona Panemonia (10). Whether it’s a highly conceptual catalyst for laughter or a blatant sartorial prank, it's all welcome.
Let’s laugh together — literally.
LCF runs creative projects throughout the year, showcasing fashion in all its different forms and far-reaching frames. This project continues that tradition.
If successful, your work/contribution will be published on LCF's social media platforms and offered to the press as exclusive content. Everything is fully credited, making this a strong portfolio opportunity. Previous examples include:
How to take part
This is an open call for a wildly imaginative project. Whether you’re a designer, maker, artist, illustrator, performer, technologist, or visual storyteller, get in touch.
Designers
Submit existing work or create something new. Finished pieces and prototypes are welcome. What matters is that your submission sparks joy, humour, or laughter. If you’re unsure, submit anyway.
Visual image makers
Filmmakers, animators, digital creators, and technologists, get in touch and share what you can bring to the project.
Deadline
Submit a one-page PDF by Monday 2 February 2026.
Send your entry to Rob Phillips, Creative Director School of Design and Technology: r.phillips@fashion.arts.ac.uk
Your PDF should visually present your work (sketches, photography, references, etc.).
- If submitting designs, include one sentence explaining how your work embodies humour or smiling.
- If applying to help produce visuals, outline how your skills and technologies can contribute.
- And feel free to tell a joke in your email 😊
- Include your name, course/title, college, personal email, and Instagram (optional).
Successful submissions:
If your submission is successful, you will be notified by Friday 6 February at 12pm.