JCA: London Fashion Academy Enshrines Mental Health into Curriculum

In a move that is the first of its kind, the newly opened JCA: Fashion Academy, led by fashion legend and Professor Jimmy Choo, introduces its ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing’ programme. Tailored towards fashion professionals, the course aims to promote wellness in an industry that is notorious for being cut-throat.

The course is in partnership with the Academy’s Ambassador for Wellbeing, Omani Princess and Vogue Arabia cover feature Her Highness Sayyida Basma of Oman. As a high-regarded and qualified Psychotherapist, she explains: “My ongoing research and experience has shown a growing amount of anxiety and uncertainty in the younger generation, in particular those in the fashion industry, and this programme aims to tackle fashion’s enduring mental health epidemic.”

Due to be rolled out in 2022, The ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing’ programme is comprised of an intense week of one-to-one sessions hosted by Her Royal Highness Sayyida Basma on campus, covering everything from building self-esteem to promoting confident decision making.

While the course was initially developed for the Academy’s pupils, JCA plans to expand globally and make the programme available to the public. In doing so, the Academy hopes to revolutionise fashion education and make wellness and wellbeing a priority in the industry, not just an exception.

Lucy London, Director of Short Courses at JCA, elaborates further. “Our mission at JCA is to create mental health camaraderie for the next generation by supplying London’s emerging designers with reliable tools and resources to manage their wellbeing – we are extremely proud to partner with Her Highness Sayyida Basma on this programme. With the combination of her expertise, an open-minded teaching style and a state-of-the-art campus, we are offering an approach to creative education that has yet to exist before.”