The Purpose Collection: A collaboration with LCF and Circle Collective

LCF have worked with Circle Collective, a social enterprise based in Hackney and Lewisham which supports local unemployed young people, for the past 7 years on a range of collaborations. They have placed over 500 young local unemployed people into permanent jobs. This year, as part of the Collaborative Challenge, they set out briefs to students from MA courses which included: Fashion Strategic Marketing, Design Management, Photography, Fashion Journalism, Womenswear, Menswear, Creative Pattern-cutting and MA Fashion Futures. The design students were tasked with creating and developing the 'Purpose Collection', a menswear and womenswear streetwear collection.

This collaboration also involves 'Making for Change’, a training and manufacturing unit in HMP Downview Women’s prison, a collaboration with LCF and HM Prison Service - the participants of which are making some of the first designed pieces for the ‘Purpose’ range. For both communities, this project is a platform, and a unique training ground for upcoming and untapped talent alike.

In an additional brief, students were tasked with designing the interior, exterior and windows environment for the new Circle Collective shop, incorporating the mission of the social enterprise with all of the customer touchpoints. Engaging the customer with an interactive experience and ensuring that they understand the brand, its purpose and mission in supporting young people and the local community. The shop will launch in the new year when circumstances permit, and the Purpose Collection will be showcased for the official opening.

"I would like to send on our huge thanks and good luck for your future message to all the students who were involved in the Circle project. Here at Circle we had a vision for the new space that we had opening in the Lewisham shopping centre to create a new model based on creating a retail shop that centred it values of community, sustainability and style and we feel that the amazing work the students have produced has been central in this concept and has truly helped us with our strategy and business plan going forward.

The Purpose Collection ideas were really on point and we do hope to use these as the initial ideas to create the new collection. We also loved the graphics from the interiors team and could see how much they have thought about all the materials and usage. So overall a great project and proof that the students really listened to the brief and interpreted it in a professional and creative manner. Many many thanks for everyone’s time and energy on the Circle project and we look forward to showing you when they have been implemented." - Turly Humphreys, CEO of Circle Collective and LCF Entrepreneur in residence.

Turly Humphreys also recently took part in a podcast episode as part of the Collaborative Challenge

"I want to say how grateful we are for the work you have carried out over the past few months for Circle Collective. Each team has worked well and delivered very high-quality outputs, under very difficult circumstances, and so you should all be proud of what you have achieved. The environment team did a fantastic job of visualising what the new Lewisham store could look like; these designs are innovative and practical and will be invaluable as we take this project towards implementation. The narrative team pulled together an interesting and creative narrative thread, with some great ideas for how we can weave a new message into our marketing and content. The Purpose Collection team have come up with a range of ideas and designs which have pushed us to think outside the box for the next collection we launch, they have some brilliant ideas for both the statement pieces that will mark us out as a brand to watch, and also the basics that will help us to build a brand that is attractive to a wide audience." - Chris Brees, Business Development Manager, Circle Collective.