The British Fashion Council is pleased to announce that Giles Deacon and Jonathan Saunders have been selected to receive "Fashion Forward" sponsorship.
BFC "Fashion Forward" in association with Westfield is a new scheme 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, however in the future the scheme will also include business-mentoring services.
Giles Deacon will be showing his fifth solo collection at LFW this September. His collections are characterized by a couture feel and are aimed at a confident, glamorous woman. Deacon commented, "As a designer who is based in London, I feel that showing in my home city is important for the development of my business. The Fashion Forward Fund in association with Westfield enables me to do this. I welcome the creation of a fund which enables designers to grow their business and help build a British fashion industry as strong as those in Italy and France."
Jonathan Saunders has been showing his collections at LFW since 2003. He has won acclaim for his stunning, intricately engineered graphic prints in kaleidoscopic colour. Stated Saunders: "I'm thrilled to be one of the recipients of the first Fashion Forward prize. This sort of initiative is a timely nod to the fact that fashion in the UK and specifically at London Fashion Week requires a long term approach to investment in individual designers. Well done to Westfield for coming forward to support what I'm sure will evolve into a very important part of the development of British design talent."
Commented Skye Fisher, project marketing manager for Westfield's White City development: "Westfield is so pleased to be able to support the new BFC Fashion Forward initiative, and feel that both Jonathan Saunders and Giles Deacon are very deserving recipients. They have displayed a beauty in their designs and consistent innovation in creativity that has put them at the forefront of the British fashion industry. It is exactly this level of talent that we want to nurture with the BFC, enabling the designers to show at London Fashion Week and offering help with developing their businesses. Westfield looks forward to continuing this support with the BFC over forthcoming seasons and furthering our work with Britain's most credible emerging fashion designers."
Hilary Riva, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council said: "I am delighted that we've been able to support Giles and Jonathan this season. London Fashion Week has been exceptional at launching new talent and now we want to help nurture the best of that talent. We are grateful to Westfield for making this sponsorship possible."
For more information on Westfield London, visit: westfield.com/london