London, Wednesday 10th January 2007 – The British Fashion Council is pleased to announce that Giles Deacon, Jonathan Saunders and Sinha-Stanic have been selected to receive “Fashion Forward” sponsorship for February 2007.
BFC “Fashion Forward” in association with Westfield London was launched in September 2006 to give support to British designers who have already established a profile at London Fashion Week. The sponsorship consists of a substantial cash prize towards funding a catwalk show.
Sinha-Stanic is to receive “Fashion Forward” sponsorship for the first time in February 2007. Since their debut at Fashion Fringe in September 2004, design duo Fiona Sinha and Aleksandar Stanic have consistently been a favourite among London’s crop of new talent. Their cool interpretations of the classics have earned them a reputation for contemporary designs for the modern woman. Commented Sinha-Stanic:
"We are absolutely delighted to be receiving the Fashion Forward Award - the support has certainly come at an apt time. Westfield clearly believes in London Fashion Week's potential through providing young businesses with such support. It is schemes like this that give London a chance to compete with the likes of Paris, Milan & New York."
Giles Deacon and Jonathan Saunders will enjoy their second season of Fashion Forward support. Giles Deacon’s collections are characterised by a couture feel and are aimed at a confident, glamorous woman.
He was awarded “Designer of the Year” at the British Fashion Awards 2006. Jonathan Saunders is internationally recognised for his graphic prints in kaleidoscopic colour. He has been showing his collections at LFW since 2003, and steadily gaining momentum ever since.
Commented David Slade, Director of Leasing for Westfield: "As the inaugural sponsor of Fashion Forward, we at Westfield are delighted to continue our association with the best of British design through London Fashion Week. We have a long term approach to supporting this talent within the UK fashion industry, and once again, we are very pleased to be working with Giles Deacon and Jonathan Saunders, who were deserving recipients of Fashion Forward in September 2006. In keeping with our support for British fashion designers we are very pleased to announce a similar sponsorship award to Sinha-Stanic alongside Giles and Jonathan for February 2007."
Hilary Riva, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council said, “It’s fantastic that Westfield London have made it possible for us to support these three designers. It is crucial that London nurtures its strong creative talent, and Fashion Forward aims to do just that."