Photo – James Peltekian © Megha Mittal, Stephanie Phair, Tania Fares and Sian Westerman with the 2019 BFC Fashion Trust Grant Recipients at Sushi Samba, Covent Garden, London.
The British Fashion Council (BFC) is pleased to announce that its charitable initiative BFC Fashion Trust is allocating £400,000 to the 2019 grant recipients. Announced today, this year’s designers will receive financial grants and business mentoring tailored to specific business needs and awarded to fund key areas of expansion.
The BFC Fashion Trust is a British Fashion Council charity that offers financial awards and business mentoring to UK based fashion designers. Since its inception in 2011, the BFC Fashion Trust has awarded over £2 million to 42 designer businesses to fund the implementation of practical solutions such as introducing new capsule collections and producing additional samples sets and to enable long term strategic plans involving as e-commerce, intellectual property, merchandising and finance. The BFC Fashion Trust is part of a group of BFC business support initiatives and charities aimed at supporting British talent from college to fashion start-ups through to future global fashion houses. Last month, the BFC announced that in 2018 it raised over £2.3million for its charities and business support initiatives out of which £1.1million will be allocated directly to scholars and designer businesses. The BFC is committed to developing design excellence and growth by nurturing, supporting and promoting British fashion talent on the global stage in an industry worth £32.2 billion to the UK GDP.
The BFC Fashion Trust’s fundraising and the philanthropic program is led by co-chairs Tania Fares and Sian Westerman who have formed a formidable network of more than 100 dynamic philanthropists, entrepreneurs, investors and business people with a shared interest in nurturing creative talent.
BFC Fashion Trust Co-Chairs Tania Fares and Sian Westerman said: “Thanks to the generosity and commitment from the BFC Fashion Trust’s patrons and partners, we can continue to offer financial and mentoring support to some of the best UK’s design talent and help them develop their creative identity while turning their brands into global businesses.”
Stephanie Phair, BFC Chair commented: “London is a city that has a special reputation for producing some of the fashion industry’s brightest new talents. Thanks to the BFC Fashion Trust and their partners’ generous support and mentoring, the 2019 grant recipients are given the opportunity to become the creative leaders of tomorrow while reinforcing the UK’s reputation as a hub for the fashion business.”
In addition to the grants, the BFC Fashion Trust supports a graduate traineeship program which offers graduates 12-month paid placements with a British based designer. The program has the dual benefit of allowing graduates to gain insight and experience and for the designer’s business to benefit from additional support. Previously partnered brands include E. Tautz, Erdem, House of Holland, JW Anderson, Mary Katrantzou and Roksanda.
The BFC Fashion Trust’s Official Partner is HSBC and today Revlon Professional confirmed that they will be continuing their support throughout 2019. Taylor Wessing supports the BFC Fashion Trust through pro bono legal service. With thanks to Bicester Village Shopping Collection, Eco-Age Farfetch, Google, Launchmetrics and the rest of our Fashion Business Network.
BFC Fashion Trust Grant & Mentoring Recipients 2019
Aries | Eudon Choi | Marta Jakubowski | Molly Goddard | NABIL NAYAL | Paula Knorr | ROBERTS | WOOD
Designers who will receive mentoring for 2019
Hillier Bartley | Huishan Zhang | Mother of Pearl | PAPER LONDON | SHARON WAUCHOB
