Fifteen designers to receive NewGen support

The British Fashion Council has named 15 emerging designers who will receive NewGensupport for 2017/2018, as part of the new format that is now awarded annually to both menswear and womenswear designers who will show at either London Fashion Week Men’s or London Fashion Week.

NewGen aims to nurture emerging designers in London and supports them to “hone in on critical business skills to futureproof their businesses”. The scheme offers designers financial support and showcasing opportunities, as well as individual mentoring and business training to assist the designers as they develop their business infrastructure and skills.

For the year ahead, the British Fashion Council have identified 15 emerging designers who they say were picked for their “creativity, strong design aesthetic and point of difference”.

This year a number of new designers have been added to the NewGen roster including A-Cold-Wall*, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Halpern, Nicholas Daley and Richard Malone. They join existing designers Cottweiler, Kiko Kostadinov, Liam Hodges, Phoebe English Man, Marta Jakubowski, Molly Goddard, Paula Knorr, Sadie Williams and Wales Bonner who all continue to receive support.

British Fashion Council names NewGen recipients for 2017/2018

The final recipient is Richard Quinn who the British Fashion Council has awarded the ‘One to Watch’ support and he will be given exhibition space in the LFW Designer Showrooms at The Store Studios this September.

Designers Alex Mullins, Ashley Williams, Craig Green and Faustine Steinmetz have all now graduate from the initiative.

Sarah Mower, British Fashion Council ambassador for emerging talent and chair of the NewGen committee said: “To be able to select NewGen for both womenswear and menswear side by side this year has given the scheme a panoramic overview of London's strength as a centre-point of young innovation.

“We have all been energised to see a surge of diverse talents from so many backgrounds whose focused individuality inspires us. It's a privilege to be able to join with so many mentors from the UK industry who volunteer to join together to put these designers on the proven fast-track to recognition and business success.”

Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council added: “The new format of our NewGen initiative allows the BFC to be flexible in the support it offers emerging designers, and recognises the changing nature of fashion business and showcasing models. We want to empower these designers to build and strengthen their brands in close alignment with their creative vision. I am delighted as ever to welcome this year’s new designers to the initiative.”

Image: courtesy of the British Fashion Council - artwork by @barbaracreative