Emerging Fervour

Are you a UK-based fashion business and are trading for no longer than 2 years in either womenswear, accessories, menswear, bridal or all of it? Then keep reading…

The BFC/ELLE Talent Launch Pad (British Fashion Council that is) will complement the opportunities offered by London Fashion Week by supporting selected young designers to grow their businesses through marketing/PR opportunities and building relationships with British retailers.

ELLE magazine will give the winning designers access to the industry’s top stylists, photographers and creative directors to create images, films and online profiles. ELLE will also give the initiative extensive editorial and promotional support.

The BFC will partner with retailers to select talent and host in-store events to stock and promote the winning designers collections to their local audiences.

We know how hard it is for emerging designers to launch themselves and be seen in the industry, so we love seeing initiatives like this one.

All you need to do is make sure you fit the criteria, download an application form and go for it, you have until 5pm Thursday 27th May! What can you loose? Good luck!!

In November, we gave details on the British Fashion Council / Vogue Designer Fashion Fund and how to apply…Well, the time has come and we now have the shortlist, announced by the BFC yesterday…

The following designers are shortlisted: Angel Jackson, Christopher Kane, Clements Ribeiro, E.Tautz, Erdem, Marios Schwab, Nicholas Kirkwood and Richard Nicoll. Well done to all these fabulous designers!

The Fund was launched by BFC Chairman Harold Tillman in September 2008 as a legacy project for the BFC’s 25th anniversary celebrations. £200,000 will be offered to the chosen designer along with some high level mentoring support too…how amazing for the lucky one who ends up being chosen; we wish there was more than one menswear designer up though, representing alongside the fabulous E. Tautz. The ultimate objective of all of this is to assist talented British designers with the potential for commercial growth like all the big names today and to start making the transition from a developing creative business to a global fashion brand.

My favourite to get this Fund would have to be Richard Nicoll. I love the soft colour schemes for his Spring/Summer 2010 collection; classy with a playful edge…I really, really like this and will definitely introduce this style into my summer wardrobe this year!

For more information on what this is all about, then visit the British Fashion Council’s site here

This is too exciting. I have literally pasted the article from the British Fashion Council‘s website.

Image: Hussein Chalayan, autumn/winter 1998

The BFC Vogue Designer Fashion Fund is a new landmark designer support scheme. This Fund aims to support developing designer businesses through financial and high level mentoring. The Fund will award an annual prize constituting unparalleled designer support within the UK. Any monetary support awarded will be in the form of a financial endowment with no expected financial return or shareholding. Additional monetary and mentoring prizes may be awarded at the judging committee’s discretion.

London is recognised as being the world leader in supporting emerging talent. Through established British Fashion Council designer support schemes NEWGEN (currently supported by Topshop) and Fashion Forward supported by the London Development Agency, some of London’s best known emerging talents have launched and developed their international profiles and businesses in London. The BFC Vogue Designer Fashion Fund will offer a third tier of support which focuses on supporting those designers with established businesses who require additional resource and specialised support to achieve real business growth, particularly in the international arena.