Richard Quinn is BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner as support programme tops £1.3m

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
May 4, 2022

The British Fashion Council (BFC) programme to support industry talent for fiscal year 2021/2022 has topped £1.3 million. Of the total earmarked to fund designers and scholars, £932,500 was paid by the body’s foundation as part of the BFC’s grant-giving initiatives.

Recipients include scholarships and talent support schemes BFC Newgen, BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund, BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund and BFC Fashion Trust.

Over £400,000 was also paid to designers through brand partnership collaborations secured by the BFC.

This year’s BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner is Richard Quinn and the BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund shortlist comprised Clothsurgeon, Lymph, Nicholas Daley and Olubiyi Thomas.

BFC Newgen recipients are Ahluwalia, Ancuta Sarca, Asai, Bethany Williams, Chet Lo, Conner Ives, Di Petsa, Eftychia, Feben, Harri, Helen Kirkum, Labrum London, Leo Carlton, Masha Popova, Nensi Dojaka, Paolo Carzana, Robyn Lynch, Roker, SS Daley, Saul Nash, Sinéad O’Dwyer, Stefan Cooke and Yuhan Wang.

And the BFC Fashion Trust support goes to Completedworks, ELV Denim, Neous, Richard Malone, Supriya Lele, Tove and Wales Bonner.

“The BFC Foundation supports the future growth and success of the British fashion industry by focusing on education, grant-giving, and business mentoring”, the body said.

Co-chaired by philanthropists and investors Narmina Marandi and Tania Fares, the charity aims to raise funds “to maintain and grow its grant giving programmes with the support of an influential international Patronage Programme.”

In its first three years, the BFC Foundation said it has received total donations in excess of £8 million. This year, the charity is able to support 35 designers and a number of students through financial support grants and mentoring.

Marandi and Fares said: “When we launched the BFC Foundation Patronage Programme at the end of 2020, we set an ambitious fundraising target. Despite a difficult year for so many, an incredible group of individuals stepped forward to donate and support the BFC Foundation and its grant giving initiatives.”

They added: “The annual funds raised by the charity allow us to continue the important work the BFC does in supporting and nurturing talented designers at all stages of their careers, as well as making sure that the British fashion industry remains diverse and open to all.”

Caroline Rush (pictured above), chief executive of the BFC, added: “The UK has a reputation of being the leading launchpad for innovative and creative talent mainly due to its world-leading universities for fashion education.

“This year’s list of designers truly showcases London’s reputation as a global capital for the creative industries, and we are delighted to be able to help so many of them through the BFC Foundation.”

BFC also said that for the second year, Clearpay, London Fashion Week’s Principal Partner, will continue to support all its initiatives.