20 years, three seats at the table, and one big question: what's next?

Welcome, and thanks for stopping by. If you've found your way here, you're probably asking a question I've heard hundreds of times, in classrooms, buying offices and design studios: what do I do next?

It's the question behind everything I do, and it's why my consultancy is called WTF next in fashion. Yes, the name is a little cheeky. WTF stands for Write, Talk, Fix: the three ways I help people answer it.

At a glance

Emma Thompson is a UK based fashion consultant, speaker and facilitator with 20 years' experience as a fashion buyer, brand owner and academic. She has bought for Marks & Spencer and Charles Tyrwhitt, built and exited her own brand, Little Hotdog Watson, and taught at Norwich University of the Arts. She speaks and hosts panels on fashion, AI and education, and is the founder of WTF Next in Fashion.

Three seats at the table

I've spent 20 years in fashion and seen it from three very different sides.

On the buying floor, as a buyer for Marks & Spencer and Charles Tyrwhitt, I learned what makes product sell, what retailers are really looking for, and why some brands never make it past a first order.

In my own brand, I built Little Hotdog Watson, [took it into Selfridges] and successfully exited the business. It showed me what it actually feels like to be a founder: the excitement, the pressure, the cashflow worries and the decisions nobody prepares you for.

In the classroom, as a fashion academic at Norwich University of the Arts, I taught and mentored creatives at the very start of their careers. It taught me how to explain things clearly, ask the right questions and spot potential early.

Where fashion meets what's next

Today, much of my work sits where fashion meets technology and education. As a speaker, I've talked about AI, fashion and academia at Women in Tech, and as a panel host, I've led a conversation on fashion at the AI Summit. I've interviewed industry professionals about how roles and careers in fashion are changing, and I love facilitating workshops where teams solve problems together. Along the way, I was selected for the Santander 100 Women in Business programme.

Why WTF?

Across all of it, I kept seeing the same thing. Talented people get stuck, not for lack of ideas, but because nobody gives them a straight answer about what to do next. I started WTF next in fashion to be that straight answer, with honest advice, practical help and carried out in a warm and supportive way.

How I work

I'm friendly, honest and practical. I'll tell you what I really think, kindly, and help you turn it into something you can act on. No jargon, and no hundred-page reports that end up in a drawer. I'm as happy with a rail of samples in a studio as I am running a workshop, hosting a panel or writing about where fashion is heading. I’m based in the UK but work globally, we can meet online or I can come to you.

A little more about me

I like people, I love a problem to solve, and my day doesn't start until Wordle is done. I love to explore too, and my career has taken me everywhere from universities to factory floors, exploring fashion from Moscow to Norwich. When I'm not mooching around Vinted or working on my leg press at the gym, you'll find me at something quirky at the theatre. You're most likely to spot me in gym gear or fully dressed up, rarely anything in between.

Whatever you're working on, I'd love to hear about it.