London Fashion Week Day 1 highlights
Published: 21 February 2015 | by BFC
Over the past two years the British Fashion Council (BFC) has been working with James McArthur, CEO of Anya Hindmarch and President of the BFC Business Pillar to review the BFC's business support strategy to help build designer brands of the future.
This reboot aims to reinforce London's reputation as the city to start, develop and grow a designer fashion business.
J JS Lee AW15 (Dan Sims, British Fashion Council)
The BFC calculated that each year 10,000 hours is spent on mentoring
London Fashion Week (LFW) designers through BFC initiatives which
include BFC Rock Vault, BFC Headonism, NEWGEN sponsored by TOPSHOP,
NEWGEN MEN sponsored by TOPMAN, BFC Contemporary sponsored by eBay, BFC /
Vogue Designer Fashion Fund and BFC / GQ Designer Menswear Fund
supported by Vertu.
The list of graduates from these initiatives
spans the hundreds with some of the first designers including Alexander
McQueen, Antonio Berardi, Clements Ribeiro, Julien Macdonald and
Matthew Williamson.
Eudon Choi AW15 (Dan Sims, British Fashion Council)
Today, over 50% of the London Fashion Week
schedule is populated by designers who have graduated or are in BFC
initiatives including Christopher Kane, Christopher Raeburn, David Koma,
Erdem, Gareth Pugh, Giles, House of Holland, Jonathan Saunders, J.W.
Anderson, Mary Katrantzou, Osman, Peter Pilotto and Roksanda.
DAKS AW15 (Dan Sims, British Fashion Council)
The
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "British designers are
internationally renowned for their innovative ideas and craftsmanship.
There is justifiably always a huge buzz around London Fashion Week, with
journalists and buyers jetting in from around the world.
Central Saint Martins MA 2015, backstage (Sam Wilson, British Fashion Council)
He said, "Over
the past few years British Fashion Council business support and
mentoring programmes have had an important role in ensuring our
designers are able to develop and thrive in a highly competitive sector.
Molly Goddard AW15 (Kensington Leverne, British Fashion Council)
"Strengthening this activity will help ensure that even more of
them will be able to maximise the business potential of their amazing
talent, which can only be a good thing for our city's reputation for
creativity and for our economy."
Molly Goddard AW15 (Kensington Leverne, British Fashion Council)
Nicholas Kirkwood, previous
NEWGEN recipient and winner of the 2013 BFC / Vogue Designer Fashion
Fund added: "The sense of support for designers in both the industry and
the press as well as between designers themselves makes London a very
special place. Initiatives from the BFC such as NEWGEN and the Vogue
Fashion Fund were key supporting moments for me."
Eudon Choi AW15, backstage (Sam Wilson, British Fashion Council)
For more information:
http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/
- BFC