In a city once overshadowed by fast fashion scandals, Sallyanne Kirk is cutting through the noise with bold creativity and unwavering vision.
An award-winning designer, creative director, music video stylist, and the driving force behind Leicester Fashion District and her radical label Unloved Daughters, she’s not just challenging the narrative around Leicester — she’s rewriting it entirely.
Picture credit: Sallyanne Kirk
Born and raised in Leicester, Sallyanne is a fourth-generation fashion creative. Her great-grandmother made clothes for a travelling circus, and her grandmother tailored in post-war New York. At 49, she continues the family legacy with her own distinctive approach, blending heritage, protest, community, and artistry into a vibrant tapestry that reflects both the city’s past and its potential future.
“I called my brand Unloved Daughters because it’s about moving on, breaking generational curses,” she explains. “Not just personally, but within the whole industry. Fashion here has always been about manufacturing — but we’re doing it differently now.”
That difference is striking. What began as a creative protest — upcycling throwaway fast fashion into one-of-a-kind, avant garde pieces — quickly became one of Leicester’s most talked about labels.
“It was like a refined protest,” Sallyanne says. “I’d buy a coat for £6 in a 98%-off sale — ridiculous when the zip probably cost more — and turn it into wearable art.”
Her early work gained attention online and in editorial shoots, attracting stylists, musicians, and red carpet creatives. Now, she’s moved beyond upcycling. “I’ve learned pattern cutting, I stitch my own pieces, and I’m building a full collection for my first show,” she says. Her designs are dark in palette but rich in texture — layered, detailed, and striking, much like her own signature style.
Picture credit: Unloved Daughters
“I wear all black. Always have. But I love layers, details, different textiles. I dress to feel powerful,” she adds.
While many designers chase the London dream, Sallyanne turned in the opposite direction. In 2023, frustrated by
Leicester’s reputation and the lack of opportunities for graduates, she founded Leicester Fashion District (LFD) — an initiative celebrating and supporting the city’s independent fashion talent.
“I was just sick of the same old narrative,” she says. “Everyone talked about Leicester as the home of unethical manufacturing. But there’s so much more here. So much untapped talent.”
Since its inception, LFD has run editorial shoots, styled music videos, facilitated graduate exhibitions, offered community fashion courses, and launched fabric donation schemes— mostly self-funded. Sallyanne envisions a full creative ecosystem: a city-centre street lined with independent shops, cocktail bars, and, at the heart, a workshop space for graduates to launch their brands. Retail downstairs. Production upstairs. A functioning fashion hub built by and for Leicester.
Her work extends beyond style. Community courses, in particular, provide creative outlets for people struggling with mental health issues, long-term unemployment, or social isolation. “These courses have literally changed lives,” she says.
“Some students have gone on to university, found confidence, or started creating again. Fashion is powerful when it’s about expression and healing.”
Picture credit: Sallyanne Kirk
Sallyanne is also launching Clock Tower, a new biannual print magazine showcasing Leicester’s designers, photographers, and graduates. “It’s going to be beautiful. Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter editions will celebrate the talent we’ve got here,” she explains.
She actively champions emerging local labels like StarOnCliff, Body Sourced, EMRLD — whose pieces have been worn by Maya Jama and Bella Hadid — and Loud, which styles grime and drill artists. “We’ve got a bubbling scene here. It’s growing, and the city’s creative talent is finally getting recognition,” she says.
Her work bridges fashion and music, often collaborating with female and female-presenting artists. “They’re more open minded when it comes to style. They get the vision, the risk, the art of it,” she notes.
Accolades follow her: Best Business at the Garment and Textiles Workers Awards and Best Dressed at the Alternative Business Awards. Yet she has no desire to relocate south.
“Everything’s always about London. I’m bored of that. It doesn’t work for everyone — financially, creatively, mentally. I want Leicester to be a place where graduates feel they can stay and grow.”
She knows the path is challenging. “There’s no big funding pot. The council backs it, the business community sees it — but we’re all skint,” she laughs. “Still, I’ll keep proving it. Every project, every collection, every pop-up — it’s worth it.”
What’s next? Pop-up shops, student exhibitions, new courses, and the debut of her first full collection. Long term: a fully fledged creative infrastructure, rooted in Leicester, run by local talent, and radiating outward.
“I’m not in a rush,” she says. “If it takes five years or ten, fine. I’m here for the long haul. Because I know I’m building
something that matters.”
To find out more, visit: www.leicesterfashiondistrict.co.uk
