Academic Year 2024/25

Annual Statement from the Chair of the Board of Governors

It is with great pride that I reflect on the past academic year at JCA | London Fashion Academy, a year that has marked both achievement and resilience. As Interim Chair of the Board of Governors, I have witnessed first-hand the creativity, determination, and innovation that characterise this institution and affirm its distinctive contribution to higher education and the fashion landscape.

This year has been one of consolidation and progress. We welcomed Mr Andrew Ginn as Principal and Chief Executive, bringing fresh academic leadership to complement the stewardship of our Senior Management. At the core of our mission, the Academy’s academic strengths continue to deepen, centred squarely on fashion design, entrepreneurship and brand innovation programmes that define our identity and purpose. Our leadership remains resolute and vigilant, ensuring that governance and oversight support the Academy’s vision and growth with clarity, rigour and strategic focus.

The Academy has much to celebrate. Our students have continued to demonstrate exceptional creativity and professionalism through an impressive range of public and industry-facing engagements that exemplify the Academy’s standing within the global fashion landscape.

This year, JCA students represented the Academy at the Shanghai Fashion Week, marking our growing international presence. Their work was also showcased in a bespoke retail installation created in partnership with the Berkeley Group, offering students a unique platform to present their retail-ready collections to top-tier press, high-profile buyers and renown stylists as well as high net-worth individuals. To extend this reach, an online gallery was launched that enabled a wider public to engage with the ingenuity and craftsmanship of our students’ work.

As part of their professional development, students benefitted from direct engagement with leading industry figures, including acclaimed designer Karen Millen and senior parters from EY, who delivered valuable insights on sustainability and the evolving legal frameworks shaping contemporary fashion. In line with our core vision, mission and values, our students also took part in the London Fashion Week in September 2024, reinforcing JCA’s unique offer to bridge education and industry by providing a one-of-a-kind opportunity to showcase their work to a global audience.

The Academy further strengthened its industry partnerships through two major fashion shows, including one in collaboration with the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, a heritage company with 400 years of tradition Haberdashers; with 12,000 children and young people attending the Haberdashers' family of schools, as well as a live project and accessories competition with the luxury brand Pineider. In addition, a scarf design competition with the Berkeley Group’s White City Living development invited students to create bespoke pieces for a high-net-worth clientele, exemplifying the integration of education, creativity, and enterprise that defines the JCA experience.

These achievements exemplify an Academy that continues to unite education and industry in purposeful harmony, empowering every student to enter the fashion world as a confident, innovative, and socially conscious professional. Equally, our commitment to student wellbeing and inclusivity has deepened. Staff have been re-trained via a summer development programme that included external speakers, in-house expertise and bespoke training packages in key areas such as safeguarding, Prevent and GDPR. In addition, the Academy enhanced its wellbeing, mental health and pastoral support offer, and the enhancement of welcome week, orientation and induction programmes for all students reflects an enduring belief that creative excellence flourishes when nurtured within a compassionate and supportive community. Together, these initiatives reaffirm our determination to foster not only academic distinction but also the personal growth and holistic development of every student entrusted to our care.

The Board has continued to refine governance, embedding the outcomes of an independent governance review, enhancing induction and appraisal processes, and strengthening the assurance framework in line with OfS expectations. These measures provide the robust foundation required for JCA to continue its trajectory of growth and maturity as an institution.

We have also faced significant challenges, which emphasise the complexity of the regulatory environment in which we operate. The Academy responded with speed and seriousness, commissioning specialist advice, strengthening compliance measures, and introducing enhanced reporting processes to ensure robust and transparent governance. Our constructive engagement with the Office for Students has similarly demonstrated our commitment to transparency and accountability, with positive recognition of our progress on student complaints processes and our work under Condition E6 on sexual misconduct, harassment and freedom of speech.

Despite wider sector headwinds, including volatility in international recruitment, inflationary pressures, and evolving regulatory demands, the Academy has maintained strong financial stewardship. Strategic investments in digital infrastructure and the reconfiguration of learning spaces have ensured that financial prudence is allied with the enhancement of the student experience.

Looking ahead, the Board’s priorities are clear: to maintain full regulatory compliance in every sphere of the Academy’s operations; to strengthen student outcomes, particularly in progression and postgraduate provision; and to broaden our strategic resilience through partnerships, sustainability, and digital innovation. These goals will guide us as we continue to mature as an institution.

On behalf of the Board of Governors, I extend my sincere thanks to our staff, whose dedication makes this Academy flourish; to our students, whose creativity and commitment are the lifeblood of JCA; and to my fellow governors, for their unwavering support and expertise. Together, we are building on firm foundations, ensuring that JCA continues to thrive as a centre of creative excellence, academic integrity, and social impact.

Professor Jimmy Choo (OBE)