Graduate Fashion Week Battles for Funds

Graduate Fashion Week has been building the UK's creative reputation through its annual event for 12 years. At the same time, the UK's 91 fashion programmes have been battling to find funds to cope with increasing student numbers.

Last year 4,074 students were accepted on UK fashion courses, according to the University and Colleges Admission Service. A significant increase on the 1,502 applicants in 1998. With budgets stretched it is becoming more difficult for colleges offering relevant fashion degrees to find the funds to show at Graduate Fashion Week.

Nicola Wood accurately states without specific government funding, lack of support from the Department of Trade and Industry support and no aid from the Design Council or British Fashion Council, the GFW faces more obstacles in its aim to showcase the UK's design talent. Money, or the lack of it, is at the heart of the issue.

Set up 12 years ago by designer Jeff Banks, fashion recruitment specialist Vanessa Denza and show producer John Walford, GFW fulfilled the need to create a unified platform in London where fashion graduates from all over the UK could show their work. Over the years it has become a renowned event for young designers to market themselves to the industry, attracting business interest and offers of employment.

The proof of success is impressive: 80 per cent of Louis Vuitton designers graduated from UK design courses, 65 per cent of the Levi's design team are British-trained and the list goes on. Christopher Bailey, for example, went from GFW winner to head designer at Burberry.

Despite the ideals, industry critics say it does not represent all the UK's fashion graduate talents and not all degree courses are represented. Furthermore, the dependence on corporate sponsorship is possible compromising the event. Colleges outside London are more likely to attract sponsorship from local businesses and therefore showcase local.

That money is a major issue is a fact confirmed by event director June Barker, who says: "We endeavour to deliver, within the constrains of balancing books and sponsorship, a professional theatre for our next generation of designer. And we are increasingly conscious of the constraints of education funding on smaller colleges. But we are looking to develop GFW with that in mind."