Emerging Designer Grace Chandler Gains Industry Insight at Leicester’s Fashion Hub

Emerging designer Grace Chandler recently took an important step in shaping her future career, meeting with Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion-Enter Ltd and Chair of the Apparel & Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF), at the FTA Fashion Hub Leicester.

The visit provided Chandler with direct access to industry expertise, as Holloway and the Fashion Hub team offered practical guidance, constructive feedback and strategic advice on navigating the transition from education into the fashion industry.

Grace’s concept, Kitschlandia: Kingdom of Whimsy and Make-Believe, reflects a distinctive design identity grounded in narrative, nostalgia and responsible making. Drawing on the illustration style of vintage fairytale books, her work blends kitsch objects, seasonal decorations and model village aesthetics into a playful, immersive “story land.”

Her designs are aimed at a growing “kidult” market – adult consumers seeking emotional connection through playful, childhood-inspired products. Accessories including bags, hair pieces, interchangeable straps and jewellery boxes are reimagined through soft colour palettes, sweet-inspired materials and character-driven storytelling.

A notable feature of the concept is the introduction of collectible “kitsch animals,” inspired by trends such as blind-box toys. These characters appear across products, encouraging user interaction and emotional attachment – an approach increasingly relevant in today’s experience-driven retail landscape.

(Grace Chandler product shots by Tom Anderson @photo_tom0911)

Sustainability is central to Grace’s practice. Her work is built around reclaimed and discarded materials sourced from scrap stores, aligning with circular design principles and reducing reliance on virgin resources.

She combines traditional textile technique such as digital embroidery, beading, appliqué and fabric manipulation with more experimental processes such as laser cutting, resin work and vacuum forming. This hybrid approach reflects both craftsmanship and innovation, while reinforcing her commitment to “slow making” and the creation of heirloom-quality pieces.

Rather than encouraging high-volume consumption, Grace’s ethos focuses on longevity, emotional durability and positivity – values increasingly championed across the ethical fashion sector.

During the session at the Leicester Fashion Hub, Jenny and the team provided Grace with tailored advice, industry connections, and access to textile scraps that she can upcycle and utilise in her up coming projects, along with how the ATMF and the Fashion Hub can further support her journey.

(Left Grace with Jo Bean at the FTA Fashion Hub, Phoenix House)

Jo Bean, Technical Manager at the Leicester Fashion Hub said: “Grace has come to us from DMU where she is in her final year of Textile Design BA Hons looking for sample lengths of fabric for her final collection. We chatted about her colour palette and looked for suitable fabrics and trims that would work with her brief. We also chatted about how we could potentially connect her with manufacturers through the ATMF and also how we could potentially help to bridge the gap of taking her creative ideas into a commercial saleable product. Grace left Phoenix House with an abundance of fabric and trims that will help bring her final collection together.”