AVD London Ltd has been awarded a grant to run a social enterprise, that trains young BAME (Black Asian Minority Black Ethnic) women from low socio-economic backgrounds, with fashion industry skills such as pattern cutting, garment construction and fashion design.

AFA teaches women how to pattern cut and sew; giving them the skills while empowering them to start their own business.

These workshops are open to all and each time you book a workshop, your money will help subsidise another workshop for a BAME woman. As a social enterprise we want help these women gain the confidence in working within the fashion industry, learn highly sought after skills that most university curriculums don't teach and become self-made business women or skilled employees

​The UK’s fashion industry alone contributes £20.92 billion to the UK’s GDP. In 2016 a report showed that 40% of the 32,422 creative workforce were women, and a staggering 11% per cent out of the whole workforce were women from BAME communities.

​“In an interview with The Guardian, Sarah Mower MBE (Vogue.com's Chief Critic) says, “a huge skills gap is opening up – pattern cutting has gone by the board in many colleges, while the design houses are crying out for skilled pattern cutters and pay good money. People come out from universities having designed a collection but it is the technician who has sewn it.”

From this incite Alpha Female Academy was born. Our main goal is to bridge the skills gap highlighted by Sarah Mower and teach women how to pattern cut and sew; giving them the skills, while empowering them to start their own businesses.