London-based fashion business Self-Portrait on Friday announced the launch of Self-Portrait Residency, a new programme that we’re told “will see creatives from all disciplines invited into the brand’s studio to design using their own distinctive style”. 

And its first link-up is with one of London’s best-known names, Christopher Kane. He’ll work from the firm’s HQ with the company saying his “distinctive creative handwriting will shape the programme’s first collection, launching in stores and across a global network of retailers, from the end of November 2024. Full details of the first self-portrait Residency will be revealed in November”. 
 
The firm’s London studio and HQ is Harella House. And the company said that by opening its doors to creatives not otherwise connected to the business, it’s offering a “design hub for artists to experiment and innovate. This initiative aims to encourage best-in-class craftsmanship and design by providing Self-Portrait’s infrastructure, platforms, resources, teams, and distribution network to spotlight and promote external creatives, offering them the freedom to dream and create”.

The programme will “evolve continuously”, with new Residents, “from across all creative disciplines” being invited to design “unique products, experiences, and collections that reflect their artistry, and complement Self-Portrait’s commitment to empowering artistic voices”.

Founder and creative director Han Chong said he’s always wanted to create “an inclusive brand, one that empowers with every interaction, and one that focuses on community over competition. This ethos was the starting point when conceiving our new Residency programme. To me, this represents the future of genuine partnership, where creatives support and uplift each other rather than seeing each other as rivals”.