Fashion Antidote

Established in 2008 Fashion Antidote is an independent fashion school and studio in East London, just off Brick Lane. Close to Liverpool Street and Aldgate East stations, we are minutes away from Spitalfields market, surrounded by the vibrant mix of boutiques, restaurants, galleries, vintage stores and fabrics shops that the area is famous for.

We aim to address the skills gap by offering a fresh alternative to fashion education. Our emphasis is on teaching fashion related subjects, specialising in technical, practical and creative skills as well courses and workshops on fashion business and how to set up your own company. Classes are small and informal, and offer one to one support to help build confidence. All levels are catered for, with classes suited to an absolute beginner through to skills training for those wanting to enter the fashion industry.

Class Breakdown

Running throughout weekdays, evenings and weekends, courses are great value for money and flexible. A typical class at Fashion Antidote consists of between 4 - 10 students, and takes place at our studio on Brick Lane. Classes begin with introductions and briefings, instructions and tuition and then practical application of these skills. Students receive demonstrations, handouts and one to one tuition, feedback and guidance from the tutors.

We offer a wide range of courses covering all creative and practical and theoretical fashion subjects including:

• Industry Level Skills Training
• How to use your Sewing Machine
• Learn to Sew
• Clothing Alterations
• Fabric Knowledge
• Garment Construction
• Pattern Cutting
• Fashion Design
• Fashion Styling
• Fashion Drawing and Illustration
• Fashion Business
• P.R. and Marketing

Our Tutors

Fashion Antidote offers quality tuition from highly experienced tutors from academic or fashion industry backgrounds, who work with leading fashion names, have their own labels or teach at top colleges and universities in and around London. Our tutors are all experts in their field and we consider them and the level of their skills to be one of our greatest assets.

Our Background

Susan Backhouse is the founder of Fashion Antidote. An acclaimed fashion designer, consultant, retailer and businesswoman, Over the past 30 years she has also worked extensively in education, as a tutor, university lecturer and course manager, teaching at a number of universities. Her extensive experience in education combined with her experience within the Fashion Industry has given Susan the knowledge, skills, inspiration and incentive to set up Fashion Antidote. Having experienced all levels of the fashion industry Susan wanted to offer an “Antidote” to the negative aspects of the business, and to address the skills gap and offer an alternative fashion education and route to employment.

What we do

Established in 2008 Fashion Antidote continues to go from strength to strength. Initially teaching basic sewing and cutting skills to the amateur dressmaker in response to the sewing boom, we have found that there is a growing demand from people wanting to attain a high level of skills to become expert seamstresses. Some also want to learn pattern cutting to enable them to cut and make clothes to their own design.

From this we have built up a strong teaching programme of Industry Level Skills Training to address the teaching gap in the education system and the industry itself.

Our classes provide high quality training for industry, as access to employment or for setting up a small business, alongside home dressmaking and essential basic skill tuition. Our classes are flexible and run in many different deliveries, to meet the individual needs of each students, from professionals looking for a career change, to amateur dressmakers wanting to go further to become an expert seamstress and cutter, or graduates looking to gain access to work.

A growing number are choosing not to apply for a university degree, but instead wish to gain direct education in small classes on a flexible learning plan. We have responded to this with our Industry Level Skills Programme, an intensive programme of a range of necessary skills. Our courses are also a good compliment to existing studies, and we frequently work with potential undergraduates wishing to gain fashion knowledge, technical skills and portfolio guidance prior to University application, and current fashion students wishing to add to their skills to complement their studies.

We also cater for those already in the industry who want to top up their skills, and for teachers on FE fashion and textile courses who are updating their technical knowledge. Our future aim is to build upon our links within the industry and offer relevant work experience and credible employment opportunities.

In partnerships with schools and colleges, we work with younger students also, and run tailor made courses to provide tasters weeks of essential skills. We provide introductory courses for 16-19 year olds in sewing, pattern cutting, fashion drawing and portfolio preparation skills for those applying to H.E courses, and also run a Summer school and half term courses with those students wishing to expand their skill base in mind.