At the end of January, we found ourselves inside Central Saint Martins.
For Nicola, it carried a sense of return. She graduated from the college before it moved to its now-famous home in King’s Cross, but the spirit of the place is unmistakable. It remains a space where ideas are encouraged to run wild, where materials are questioned, and where many designers first begin imagining how fashion might evolve.
This time, the occasion was the launch of a new programme at the college’s M School (Materials). Stella McCartney has been appointed the first-ever Industry Ambassador, working with students and faculty to strengthen the role of sustainability, material innovation and circular design within the curriculum.
The appointment opened what Central Saint Martins is calling the “Pioneers Season” – a series of talks and events designed to connect students directly with the realities of industry and the future challenges of fashion.
The launch event took place in the LVMH Lecture Theatre on 29 January, where Stella was interviewed on stage by Sarah Mower – British Fashion Council ambassador and one of the most respected voices in fashion journalism. The conversation ranged widely, touching on Stella’s career, the responsibilities of designers today, and the urgent need to rethink the materials that underpin the industry.
At one point during the discussion, Stella referenced Fevvers while speaking about the search for credible alternatives to animal-derived materials. Hearing the company mentioned on the Central Saint Martins stage – in a conversation about the future of fashion materials – was a moment we won’t forget.
After the talk, garments featuring Fevvers were also displayed as part of the exhibition accompanying the event, giving students the chance to see the material up close.
What struck us most about the evening was the atmosphere in the room. Students asked thoughtful questions. Faculty spoke openly about the challenges ahead. And the conversation was less about trends and more about responsibility.
For a company built around rethinking materials, being part of that dialogue felt meaningful.
Central Saint Martins has long been a place where fashion imagines its future. Seeing material innovation placed so clearly at the centre of that conversation felt like a hopeful sign for what comes next.
