BFC announces New Gen recipients

The British Fashion Council has announced the designer recipients of the prestigious New Generation sponsorship. Several new designers have been selected to receive New Generation support for the first time and this season 15 designers were chosen by the BFC's scouts and panel of experts. Receiving catwalk sponsorship are: Christopher Kane, Danielle Scutt, Duro Olowu, Erdem, Gareth Pugh, Louise Goldin, Marios Schwab and Todd Lynn.

Exhibition sponsorship goes to Borba Margo, Danielle Scutt, Emilio de la Morena, Ginta, Louise Goldin, Meadham/Kirchhoff, Modernist, Osman Yousefzada, Peter Pilotto and Todd Lynn. The New Generation scheme spans both The Exhibition at London Fashion Week and the British Fashion Council's official Catwalk Show Schedule. The support is given as cash sponsorship for a fashion show at London Fashion Week and/or a stand at the event's Exhibition.

The New Generation sponsorship was established in 1993, acting as a promotional launch pad for young designers, attracting media profile, orders and investment whilst offering encouragement and support for new talent. It has also helped to initiate the careers of some of the UK's top international names such as Alexander McQueen, Antonio Berardi, Clements Ribeiro, Julien Macdonald, Matthew Williamson and Sophia Kokosalaki.

Topshop is the single biggest supporter of young fashion designers in the industry. This is Topshop's 11th season working with the British Fashion Council as the New Generation sponsor.  Topshop continues to support previous winners through housing collections in the Boutique space at its flagship store in Oxford Circus. 

www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/bfc
27 June 2007

BFC names New Generation Award winners

The British Fashion Council, in association with New Generation sponsor Topshop, has announced the recipients of this season's New Generation Awards.

First time recipients include Christopher Kane, Clare Tough and Todd Lynn, who have all received support for a catwalk show and exhibition alongside c neeon, Gareth Pugh, Marios Schwab and Richard Nicoll while Roksanda Ilincic and Basso & Brooke receive support for their catwalk shows.

At the New Gen exhibition, Jojo & Malo make their debut alongside previous New Gen winners Avshalom Gur, Erdem, Husam El Odeh and Modernist.

2 August 2006

British Fashion Council may separate from BCIA

The British Fashion Council is planning to separate from its parent organisation the British Clothing Industry (BCIA). The split could mean the council has to relocate and move out of its offices as 5 Portland Place.

Hilary Riva, the former Rubicon boss who took over the role as chief executive of the BFC this year, is planning for the BFC to become independent of the BCIA. The BCIA has supported the BFC financially for many years, however the BFC and London Fashion Week had now grown so big it was time for them to go forth separately.

The BFC will continue to be funded by government agencies and sponsors and has secured financial support from Creative London, part of the London Development Agency, until February 2007. The organisation has also signed a three-ear deal with Canon to become headline sponsor of LFW.

British Fashion wants some respect

"We get no respect," is Nicholas Coleridge's message. The chairman of the British Fashion Council and head of the U.K. arm of Conde Nast says the international fashion community turns up their noses for the British fashion scene.

"For as long as I have lived, it has been fashionable to knock British fashion designers," he declared in the Sunday Times. Of British fashion commentators themselves, he said, "If they watched the same collections on the catwalks of Paris or Milan, they would write rave reviews, but seeing them here, in their own back yard, they will cavil."

This could well be part of the reason that so many London designers skip their London shows in favor of Paris, Milan or New York. This season the mood will certainly be more festive, than last season, with 65 British designers - including Paul Smith, Burberry, Hamish Morrow, Jasper Conran and Julien Macdonald - showing their collections in their own country. There have been two last-minute cancellations from Fake London and Julian And, last week they announced that they would not be going on with their scheduled shows.

Coleridge admits this is a tough economic time. To help companies that are watching their bottom lines and curtailing the teams they send to the shows, the British Fashion Council will be emailing reviews and photos to editors and buyers around the world. "No other fashion capital does that," boasts Coleridge. But: "We have to fight hard to retain our status as one of the big four fashion capitals. At a time when New York is putting on 130 shows, Milan even more than that and Paris close to 100, plucky London has to try harder."

According to Coleridge, the London Fashion Week is much more exciting than others. "Fashion editors returning from the New York and Milan shows last season complained how predictable most of them were. They could have filed their reviews without turning up. In London, you still sit on the edge of your seat."
London Fashion Week Fall 2002

14-2-2002