The greatest obstacle standing between any new designer and the success of their label is cost. It’s not at all uncommon for young designers to run a healthy deficit for many years, regardless of the quality of their product or value of their idea. Recognising this, the BFC introduced the NEWGEN sponsorship: an annual bursary granted to 15 promising new designers. But given that gaining global recognition is another imperative to the success of an emerging brand, the NEWGEN sponsorship doesn’t stop at financial aid – it’s also designed to boost its recipient’s industry cache through a comprehensive mentorship program.
This year’s new recipients include, A-COLD-WALL*, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, Halpern, Nicholas Daley and Richard Malone. Existing winners, COTTWEILER, Kiko Kostadinov, Liam Hodges, Phoebe English MAN, Marta Jakubowski, Molly Goddard, Paula Knorr, Sadie Williams and Grace Wales Bonner will also continue to gain support. Lastly, Richard Quinn was awarded the “One to Watch”, granting him an exhibition in the LFW Designer Showroom at The Store Studios this coming September.
Given that London is one of the fashion capitals of the world, it’s no surprise Britain is setting the standard for supporting young designers. We can only hope more such programs emerge around the globe, because who knows what hidden talent out there is a helping hand away from taking the industry by storm.
Scroll through the images below for a closer look at this year’s recipients:
For more information on the 2017 NEWGEN recipients please visit britishfashioncouncil.com