Celebrate your cultural heritage with Cultural Style Week
Cultural Style Week, in partnership with Cultural Fashion & Arts CIC, is an annual celebration of heritage, diversity and creativity through fashion, taking place from 21–27th May 2025. The movement invites people to come together to honour cultural pride and connect communities through the universal language of fashion and culture.
This year, Cultural Style Week has launched a brand-new Event Submission Portal, designed to make it easier for community groups, cultural organisations and businesses to participate. The portal allows event organisers to submit their public activities for inclusion in the official Cultural Style Week 2025 Calendar.
You can submit events such as fashion shows, workshops, pop-up markets and more that celebrate cultural diversity. Approved submissions will be featured on the calendar and shared with audiences eager to explore and engage with the rich cultural tapestry of their communities.
We spoke to the inspirational Candy-Ellie Graham, Founder of Cultural Style Week, who has built this important annual event from scratch.
What inspired you to create Cultural Style Week?
Cultural Style Week was born from my passion for celebrating identity and heritage through fashion. Growing up in London, I loved the diversity and being invited to traditional celebrations and seeing clothing from other cultures. I also noticed that cultural attire was often reserved for special occasions rather than being a regular fashion staple or expression of pride. I wanted to create a movement where people from all backgrounds could confidently wear their cultural attire, embrace their heritage, and educate others about their traditions. Cultural Style Week gives people the opportunity to do just that. It’s a very valid excuse to celebrate and wear your heritage!
Tell us about Cultural Style Week
Cultural Style Week takes place for a week in May. 21st May is the UNESCO world day for cultural diversity. Across the week people are encouraged to wear their national or cultural dress, share their look on social media using our hashtag #CulturalStyleWeek and join in on conversations about cultural heritage and pride. It started in 2022, mainly as an online movement and has grown into an international festival of events.
We encourage people to host their own celebration in their communities, schools or workplaces but we have also been fortunate to receive support to create events and activities that people can attend. These have ranged from fashion shows, to talks, cultural fashion pop ups and more. This year we have launched a new event portal so that community groups and events planners can create and list their own events too.
I deeply appreciate Ealing’s incredible diversity and vibrant cultural landscape. Ealing is home to so many different communities and I’ve been fortunate to see residents engage with Cultural Style Week, attend our events and take part in some of our projects. I also really love how Ealing’s residents take pride in their backgrounds and it’s wonderful to see how cultural fashion plays a role in their daily lives.
Why should our communities get involved?
Cultural Style Week is an open invitation to all communities, for example, we encourage Southall’s vibrant South Indian population to take part in this global celebration of identity. Southall is a cultural hub known for its rich heritage, traditional fashion and deep-rooted sense of community. By participating in Cultural Style Week, residents can share their customs with a wider audience, helping to educate others and preserve their traditions for future generations. It’s an opportunity to showcase the beauty of South Indian attire, from sarees to veshtis and to highlight the craft and significance behind each garment. The more communities that get involved, the more we foster understanding and appreciation for the diverse cultures that make up London and beyond.
How will Cultural Style Week benefit our communities?
Cultural Style Week is a chance for people in Ealing and London to celebrate their heritage, connect with others and share traditions through fashion. It brings communities together, supports local businesses and helps make cultural attire a more visible and accepted part of everyday life. With national and international visitors attending our events, it also creates opportunities for new business in the borough. The best part is that people can celebrate in their own way – there are no limits. I’m excited to see the diverse range of events submitted to our portal and I’m excited to see how they’ll shape this year’s festival of culture and style.
Huge thanks to Candy for answering our questions and all the best for a hugely successful Cultural Style Week 2025!
