London Fashion Week To Receive £2million Government Funding To Support The Showcasing Of Emerging British Designers
Image By Courtesy of BFC
During the REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion sponsored by Alexander McQueen event at the Design Museum yesterday, the Culture Secretary confirmed £2 million in funding for BFC NEWGEN designers to showcase at London Fashion Week.
The funding, earmarked earlier this year in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, will be spread across five fashion weeks over two years.
Support for the next generation of British designers confirmed ahead of London Fashion Week.
This funding was announced as part of Culture Secretary’s vision to maximise the potential of the Creative Industries.
The funding will go towards the British Fashion Council (BFC) NEWGEN programme at London Fashion Week contributing to larger support and mentoring for independent emerging designers.
The BFC is celebrating 30 years of the BFC NEWGEN programme this year.
Through the NEWGEN programme, the BFC offers designers showcasing opportunities and mentoring from industry experts so they can build and sustain their businesses.
This year celebrates 30 years of NEWGEN, which has given some of fashion’s biggest names their big breaks, including Ahluwalia, Alexander McQueen, Erdem, Grace Wales Bonner, JW Anderson, Martine Rose, Roksanda, Saul Nash and Simone Rocha.
BFC Chief Executive Caroline Rush said: “It is fantastic that for the first time the British Fashion Council will receive a direct grant from DCMS similar to Film and Music to support the next generation of designer talent. NEWGEN is an essential R&D programme for the global industry and central to the BFC strategy to celebrate British fashion on the world stage.”
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “Our fashion industry is world famous for its unrivalled creativity, innovation and producing some of the world’s most influential designers - that’s why it’s a priority sector for economic growth. The NEWGEN scheme has kickstarted the careers of some of our best UK-based designers who are making waves in the fashion world, and I’m delighted this funding will help the next crop of British fashion talent build businesses that can thrive for years to come.”
The BFC NEWGEN
NEWGEN is a BFC initiative that supports the best emerging fashion design talent and aims to build global, high-end brands of the future.
It is the most established designer development scheme globally and recipients are identified by their creativity, strong aesthetic and innovative approach to design.
NEWGEN offers designers financial support, showcasing opportunities, and mentoring to develop critical skills to future proof their businesses.
The BFC, with support from the NEWGEN committee led by Sarah Mower MBE, delivers individual mentoring and business training sessions to assist the recipients as they develop their business infrastructure.
NEWGEN encompasses Ready-to-Wear and Accessories including all categories such as shoes, bags, hats, and jewellery, with different product categories being judged by specific panels. Sarah Mower MBE leads the RTW panels and Stephen Jones OBE and Stephen Webster MBE lead the Accessories panel.
Each year, recipients are identified by their creativity, strong design aesthetic, and point of difference. The 2023/24 BFC NEWGEN recipients are:
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