2 January 2024
SMILEY ORIGINAL continues to support two pioneering designers within it’s Future Positive Creators Fund to aid their sustainability endeavors during major global fashion weeks.
February 2024, Smiley celebrates the second iteration of the Future Positive Creators Fund, a £500k monetary fund and mentorship support scheme designed to help game-changing designers at global fashion weeks.
The fund was born out of Smiley’s Future Positive sustainability initiative corresponding with their partnership with the United Nations to deliver UN-SDG Goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production. It has been designed to assist emerging creators in transitioning towards a more ethical, responsible, and circular approach to design, sourcing, and manufacturing.
This year’s designers include; Edvin Thompson, Creative Director of Theophillo, showing at New York Fashion Week and Saul Nash who will show at London Fashion Week.
Part of the Smiley Future Creators Fund supports the designers, as part of the bi-annual fund to support their overall business operations, manufacturing, sourcing, and additional funding and mentorship across marketing, digital, social and retail. Last years’ designers include; AHLUWALIA, AGR KNIT, CHET LO, KEVIN GERMANIER, RICH MNISI, SHUTING QIU
Smiley has created relationships with a network of sustainable fabrication partnerships, assisting in lowering fabric minimums for these fabrics, label and packaging manufacturing and financial support to purchase circular and sustainable fabrics and finishes where required.
Showing how to create more consciously through the eyes of future creatives, each designer has collaborated with Smiley on a capsule collection of clothing and accessories utilising responsible or circular sourcing solutions, incorporating their unique interpretation of the iconic SMILEY icon in each Fall-Winter 2024 collection.
Nicolas Loufrani CEO, The Smiley Company comments “ The Fund has expanded its support to include several emerging designers, and I’m excited to champion these talents as they lead the way in crafting a more sustainable tomorrow. It’s an opportunity to shed new light on sustainability, with creative garment design at the forefront. Let’s establish a benchmark and motivate our global manufacturing partners to join the movement. Together, we have the power to make a lasting and positive difference”
As featured by LicensingMagazine.com. Read their full coverage of the Smiley Future Positive Creators Fund: FW24 Fashion Week
About Edvin Thompson
Jamaican born designer and Creative Director of Theophillo, label launched in 2016. Celebrating cultural identities and using sustainably sourced and upcycled fabrics is central to Theophilio’s ideology. Theophilio is a Brooklyn-based clothing brand for men and women.
About Saul Nash
Raised in North East London, Saul Nash is a designer who established his Eponymous brand in 2018. His analysis of menswear proved to be the catalyst for Nash starting the brand. The UK-based designer’s dexterity for revitalising luxury garments rich in functionality and flair is exhibited within his practice and the cohesion of Nash’s designs is rooted in his dedication to Movement.
About Smiley®
Smiley® has been spreading joy and optimism to generations since French journalist Franklin Loufrani created the trademarked brand in 1972.
Originally a gesture to urge readers of the newspaper France-Soir to ‘Take the Time to Smile’, soon this ubiquitous symbol of happiness became the most recognised and important icon in graphic design.
In 1996 Nicolas Loufrani, son of Franklin, took over the helm, steering Smiley into the digital revolution. Creating a whole new way of communicating, he added a variety of facial expressions to the original Smiley – his emoticons are now sent around the world infinitely.
Continuing to influence modern culture, Smiley is one of the world’s top global licensing enterprises collaborating on high-profile activities spanning fashion, art, homeware, food and beverage. Major partnerships include Loewe, Moschino, Raf Simons, Eastpak and LA-based Market, who produce the Market Smiley Baseball – a cultural icon.
Maintaining Smiley’s friendly mantra, Loufrani created Smiley Movement in 2017. The non-profit community works across multimedia platforms aiming to inspire positive change in society addressing urgent societal and environmental problems.