British Fashion Council announces recipients of NEWGEN MEN sponsorship

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced eight of London’s emerging menswear fashion design talents to receive sponsorship from its designer support initiative NEWGEN MEN sponsored by TOPMAN. All recipients will receive business support, funding and the opportunity to use the BFC venue to host either a catwalk show, presentation or an installation during London Fashion Week’s Menswear Day, on 23 February 2011. The recipients are:

Catwalk sponsorship (shows will take place in the BFC Show Space):
Christopher Shannon
James Long
J.W. Anderson

Salon show sponsorship (TOPMAN show space at the Royal Opera House):
Lou Dalton

Presentation sponsorship (presentations will take place in the Portico Rooms):
Katie Eary
Omar Kashoura
SIBLING

Installation sponsorship (installations will take place in the ground floor showrooms):
Christopher Raeburn

BFC announces recipients of NEWGEN Sponsorship for LFW

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has today announced the names of 18 of London’s emerging designers who have been selected to receive BFC NEWGEN Sponsorship to show at London Fashion Week in February 2011. NEWGEN is a showcase for the best emerging British fashion talent and is central to the British Fashion Council’s talent identification, designer development and showcasing programme. The scheme has become a key draw for the international fashion media and buyers attending London Fashion Week. The NEWGEN recipients for Autumn/Winter 2011 sponsored by Topshop are:

Catwalk sponsorship:
David Koma
Holly Fulton
Louise Gray
Mary Katrantzou
Michael van der Ham

Presentation sponsorship:
Christopher Raeburn
Craig Lawrence
JS Lee
JW Anderson (film presentation)
Nasir Mazhar

Installation sponsorship:
Dominic Jones and Jordan Askill

Exhibition sponsorship:
Chau Har Lee
Christopher Raeburn
Craig Lawrence
David Koma
Dominic Jones
Fannie Schiavoni
Felicity Brown
Heikki Salonen
Holly Fulton
Jordan Askill
JS Lee
JW Anderson
Louise Gray
Mary Katrantzou
Michael van der Ham
Nasir Mazhar
Thomas Tait
Yang Du

Dunhill to show at London Fashion Week

The British Fashion Council (BFC) today announced that the iconic British brand Alfred Dunhill will show at London Fashion Week in February. The Alfred Dunhill brand has revealed plans to open the doors of its Mayfair home to showcase its AW11 collection ‘HOME’. The salon style presentation will be the last show of the day on Tuesday 22 February 2011 as a prelude to London Fashion Week’s Menswear Day.

Shortlist for BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund 2011 announced

The British Fashion Council (BFC) today announced the shortlist for the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund. The shortlisted designers are; Charlotte Olympia, Christopher Kane, E. Tautz, Jonathan Saunders, Nicholas Kirkwood, OSMAN, Peter Pilotto and Richard Nicoll, have been identified as labels with potential for international growth. The eight shortlisted designers have been invited to present their collections and future plans to the judging panel chaired by Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue, comprising industry experts and Fund sponsors. The Fund, now in its second year, will provide one British based designer with £200,000 as well as a mentoring support programme. The seven runners-up will be allocated a mentor through the Fund. British Vogue will document the judging process and announce the winner in its March 2011 issue. The winner will demonstrate a clear vision for their business and how the Fund will contribute to their growth and their infrastructure, with a focus on creating a strong international brand.

Anya Hindmarch joins British Fashion Council

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has today announced that Anya Hindmarch has joined the BFC as a non-executive director. Anya Hindmarch joins Harold Tillman, Chairman; Caroline Rush, CEO; Simon Ward, COO; and Chris Inman, Treasurer on the board. Anya Hindmarch, set up her label at the age of 19 and now has 54 stores around the globe. She takes over the role from Hilary Riva who announced that she was stepping down from the position earlier this month after five years at the BFC.

British Fashion Awards use public vote to decide British Style Award

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced that it will look to the public to decide on the winner of the British Style Award at this year’s British Fashion Awards. This year, for the first time, members of the public who vote online will have the opportunity to win tickets to attend the British Fashion Awards ceremony at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 2010. A list of suggested nominees including Alexa Chung, Emma Watson, Georgia May Jagger, Lily Cole, Stella McCartney and Tilda Swinton, has been drawn up by a panel of fashion opinion formers at www.britishfashionawards.com/britishstyle. All other awards are judged by a panel of leading fashion editors and retailers.

The British Fashion Awards recognise the most influential people in British fashion today and celebrate significant achievements in the past year through awards such as Designer of the Year, Designer Brand, Accessory Designer, Menswear Designer and Emerging Talent. Other awards that will be presented on the night include Outstanding Achievement in Fashion, Model and the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator. Votes will be collated from tomorrow at www.britishfashionawards.com/britishstyle and the winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on 7 December at the Savoy Theatre. For more information go to www.britishfashionawards.com

Applications now open for London Fashion Week 2011

The British Fashion Council (BFC) today (12 October) announced it is opening applications for designers to participate in London Fashion Week (LFW) February 2011. There are seven categories for application including catwalk, presentation, digital presentation, the exhibition, Estethica and its internationally recognised talent support scheme NEWGEN sponsored by TOPSHOP and NEWGEN MEN, sponsored by TOPMAN. LFW is one of the world’s leading designer showcases alongside New York, Paris and Milan. Last season LFW generated over £70 million worth of press coverage in the UK alone. The audience is made up of UK and International press, buyers and industry professionals including key opinion formers. The London Fashion Week (LFW) Exhibition showcases 200 of the industry’s most creative UK and International designer businesses. The BFC aims for the exhibition to mirror the energy on the catwalk and presentation schedule. Estethica is the BFC’s eco sustainable initiative sponsored by Monsoon. All potential Estethica designers must adhere to at least one of the three principles of fair-trade and ethical practices, organic and recycled materials and are selected for both their ethical credentials and design excellence. The BFC ‘NEWGEN’ scheme, currently sponsored by TOPSHOP was set up in 1993 with the mission to support the growth of original new collections which have the potential to make a mark on the international scene. Designers who have been in business for three years or less and are eligible to apply for the NEWGEN scheme and those selected will receive sponsorship and mentoring tailored to the scale and positioning of their products and businesses. Judging is undertaken voluntarily by a panel of Britain’s top editors, buyers and talent scouts who compare entrants against the standards of excellence attained by former winners including some of Britain’s highest profile designers including Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson, Julien Macdonald and more recently Giles Deacon, Gareth Pugh, Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Richard Nicoll and Todd Lynn. Sarah Mower is the BFC’s Abassador for Emerging Talent and is the chair of this committee. NEWGEN Men, sponsored by Topman, launched with success in September 2009. It provides menswear designers with business support, funding and the opportunity to use the official BFC venue, Somerset House, to host a catwalk show during London Fashion Week’s Menswear Day. The closing date for applications is 18th October 2010 for the LFW Exhibition and Estethica, 15 October 2010 for NEWGEN and 22 October 2010 for NEWGEN MEN.

BFC announces shortlist of nominees for the British Fashion Awards 2010

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced the shortlist of nominees for the British Fashion Awards 2010. The event recognises influential people in fashion today and celebrates the reputation and development of British fashion. An event was staged at a drinks reception on the Roof Terrace at Soho House last night to announce the nominees, attended by, among others, Harold Tillman and Sienna Miller (pictured here). The winners will be announced at the British Fashion Awards, on 7 December.

The British Fashion Awards 2010 nominees are:

Emerging Talent Award - Accessories
An innovative and directional accessories designer who is emerging as an influential force in British fashion in the Accessories category.
Nominees:
Charlotte Olympia
Husam El Odeh
Jessica McCormack

Emerging Talent Award - Ready To Wear
An innovative and directional designer who is emerging as an influential force in British fashion in the Ready-to-Wear category.
Nominees:
Mary Katrantzou
Meadham Kirchhoff
Michael van der Ham

Designer Brand
A leading British designer brand that has excelled and made an impact on the international stage over the past year.
Nominees:
Burberry
Mulberry
Pringle of Scotland
Victoria Beckham

Model
A British model who has emerged as a leading name in the modelling industry and is making a strong mark on the international fashion scene.
Nominees:
David Gandy
Lara Stone
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Accessory Designer
The leading British designer of shoes, jewellery, millinery or accessories within the past year.
Nominees:
Camilla Skovgaard
Emma Hill for Mulberry
Nicholas Kirkwood

Menswear Designer
A leading British designer of ready-to-wear and bespoke tailoring who has been instrumental in enhancing men's fashion in the past year.
Nominees:
Christopher Bailey for Burberry
E.Tautz
Margaret Howell
Paul Smith

Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator
A British stylist, make-up artist, photographer, art director or producer whose creativity has been a major inspiration and influence in the past year.
Nominees:
Nick Knight
Nicola Formichetti
Rankin

Designer of the Year
The ultimate accolade, which recognises an internationally acclaimed British designer of couture, ready-to-wear, knitwear or accessories who has made a significant impact in the past year both in the UK and internationally.
Nominees:
Christopher Kane
Erdem
Phoebe Philo for Céline

BFC Outstanding Achievement In Fashion
An award recognising one designer who throughout their career has influenced and inspired the global fashion industry.
Winner announced on the evening.

British Style
An individual who embodies the spirit of British fashion and is an international ambassador for the UK as a leading creative hub for fashion.

BFC and ELLE magazine announce winners of designer ´Talent Launch Pad`

The British Fashion Council (BFC) and ELLE magazine has announced the inaugural winners of the BFC / ELLE Talent Launch Pad 2010. Six new designer businesses, Clemency London, David Longshaw, Eudon Choi, Holly Fulton, Irwin & Jordan and Yunus & Eliza, have been selected for this new initiative to develop a British retail base with professional support to develop long term business success. The selection committee comprised leading British independent retailers, brand development experts and fashion influencers. The panel members were Lorraine Candy, editor of ELLE, Donna Wallace, Accessories Editor at ELLE, Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council, Emma Jones from Mirabelle Edgedale, Helena Christensen model and photographer, designer Sara Berman, stylist Sam Ranger and partner retailers Anna Park from ANNA, Helene Rapaport from Bernards of Esher, Julia Jaconelli from The Courtyard, Justine Mills from Cricket, Oscar Pinto-Hervia from Hervia Bazaar, and Julia Aitken from Stanwells. The six designers will have access to ELLE magazine’s stylists, photographers and creative directors to devise marketing materials including images and films. ELLE will also give the scheme extensive editorial and promotional support. For more information visit www.britishfashioncouncil.com/talentlaunchpad

BFC launches ´Future Vintage` fashion show

The BFC has partnered with Vintage at Goodwood Festival to curate a 'Future Vintage' fashion show this Sunday 15 August. As part of this partnership, a selection panel of expert fashion editors chaired by Sarah Mower (BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent), have chosen five emerging designers whose collections qualified as 'Future Vintage'. David Koma, Holly Fulton, Louise Gray, Mary Katrantzou and Michael van der Ham will showcase a selection of Autumn/Winter 2010 looks for the Future Vintage show. Find out more about the festival and how to obtain a 10% discount for entry at the website: www.vintageatgoodwood.com

BFC announces 21 designers to receive BFC NEWGEN sponsorship

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced the names of 21 of London’s fashion design talents that will receive BFC NEWGEN sponsorship to show at London Fashion Week (LFW) in September 2010. NEWGEN is an internationally recognised talent identification scheme, with alumni including British designers Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson, Boudicca, Giles Deacon, Jonathan Saunders and more recently; Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Richard Nicoll, Erdem and Meadham Kirchhoff.

The recipients of NEWGEN, sponsored by Topshop are:

Catwalk sponsorship: David Koma, Holly Fulton, Mary Katrantzou, Michael Van Der Ham and Peter Pilotto.

Presentation sponsorship: Craig Lawrence and Louise Gray.

Installation sponsorship: Christopher Raeburn, Dominic Jones, Fannie Schiavoni and Yang Du.

Exhibition sponsorship: Atalanta Weller, Chau Har Lee, Christopher Raeburn, Craig Lawrence, David Koma, Dominic Jones, Fannie Schiavoni, Felicity Brown, Heikki Salonen, Holly Fulton, Jordan Askill, J. JS Lee, JW Anderson, Louise Gray, Mark Fast, Mary Katrantzou, Michael Lewis, Michael Van Der Ham, Peter Pilotto, Sykes and Yang Du.

For more information on the NEWGEN designers visit www.britishfashioncouncil.com/newgen

BFC and Harrods launch Graduate Competition

Today the British Fashion Council (BFC) and Harrods have launched the Harrods Graduate Competition. Winning the competition will entitle one student from a Colleges Council member college to win a year’s internship working alongside the Fashion Buying Team. This unique opportunity will give the individual the chance to gain the skills and knowledge in design, quality assurance, buying and retail sales, as part of their development following graduation. Three graduates will be chosen to undertake a one month training placement, learning different aspects of the Harrods business. During this time, they will be assessed and, in August 2010 one of the three will be selected to win a year’s paid internship with the Harrods Fashion Buying Team, working on design, development and the retail experience. A senior panel of judges including Anne Tyrrell, Chair of the BFC’s Colleges Council, Caroline Rush, CEO (Joint), BFC and Marigay McKee, Fashion and Beauty Director of Harrods, will choose the winning portfolio and written case study that shows exceptional design ability and also encapsulates the need and product styling key to the Harrods customer. The closing date for entries is 11th June 2010. For more details and full brief please go to www.britishfashioncouncil.com/collegescouncil.

BFC opens applications for LFW

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced that applications are open for designers to participate in London Fashion Week September 2010. There are six categories for application including womenswear catwalk and presentation, menswear catwalk and presentation, the exhibition, estethica and the talent support scheme NEWGEN sponsored by TOPSHOP and NEWGEN MEN, sponsored by TOPMAN.