The British Fashion Council (BFC) was formed in 1983 to promote British fashion globally and develop London as a major fashion capital. It organizes London Fashion Week and supports emerging designers through various schemes. These include NEWGEN which provides financial and business support, the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund which provides £200,000 to one designer, and Fashion Forward which helps designers show at Fashion Week and develop their businesses. The BFC also runs Estethica to showcase sustainable fashion and the Designer Fact File to help designers start businesses.

1. British Fashion Council

3. Introduction
• Formed in 1983 out of the Fashion Industry Action Group, an ad
hoc group created in 1981.
• It’s aim is to showcase British design talent to the world, and
to develop London’s position as a major player in the fashion
arena.
• London Fashion Week is run by the BFC and has put London in the
‘big 4’ fashion capitals.
• There’s a series of schemes in place to help support young
emerging designers in the industry.
• They also organise the annual British Fashion Awards that’s on
par with the BAFTA’S and the BRIT’S.
This presentation will take you through the initiatives
that have been put in place by the BFC.

5. • The advisors are made
up of top industry
professionals from
media, retail, academi
a and designers. They
use there status to
help promote British
talent.
• There's 11 companies
giving on-going
support, including
Topshop, Loyds
TSB, V&A and Grazia to
name a few.

6. • Future of Fashion was launched Feb 2012
• Raconteur Media published Sustainable Luxury for The Times on
Wednesday 6th July, supported by WWF.
• Orsola de Castro, co-curator of BFC Estethica sponsored by Monsoon
comments in an article by Mike Scott "Ethical fashion is about
rebalancing and encouraging people to engage emotionally with what
they buy. Buy less, buy better is our credo... We need to redefine
the word luxury. At the moment, it just means 'glossy'. It is
important for customers to know that luxury is not just about
your own private definition, but that it extends throughout the
supply chain."

7. Patrons of BFC

8. Business support
• Designer Fact File
• BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund
• Esthetica
• Fash/On Film
• Fashion Forward
• Fashion Forward Men
• Headonism
• NEWGEN
• NEWGEN MEN
• Rock Vault
• Support Network
• Talent Launch Pad

9. Designer Fact File
• Originally published by the British Fashion Council in 1997, the
Designer Fact File was developed as a guide to setting up a designer
business. 2012 marks its launch online, re-edited for today's
marketplace. There’s help for pre-business and starting your
business.

10. Vogue Designer Fashion Fund
• The Fund was launched by BFC Chairman Harold Tillman in September 2008 as a
legacy project for the BFC’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Those supporting The
Fund are Burberry, Debenhams, Harrods, LF Europe, Marks & Spenders, Paul Smith,
Topshop, Clothing at Tesco and Vogue.
The Fund provides one British based designer with £200,000 and access to high
level mentoring support - additional awards of mentoring and business support
may be allocated to finalists at the judging panel’s discretion.
The aim of The Fund is to assist talented British designers with the potential
for commercial growth to start making the transition from a developing creative
business to a global fashion brand.
In order to be eligible for this scheme, designers must have an established
business based within the UK. They must have UK and international stockists and
support from key media. The winner must demonstrate a clear vision for their
business and how The Fund will contribute to their growth with a focus on
creating a global brand.

11. Estethica
• The British Fashion Council founded Estethica six years ago to
showcase the growing movement of cutting edge designers committed to
working eco sustainably. Estethica has evolved to become the hub of
London's ethical fashion industry. The success of this initiative, the
internationally strongest of its kind, is evident in its rapid growth.
Estethica will showcase 14 cutting-edge designers for autumn/winter
2013 at London Fashion Week in the West Wing of Somerset House.
• All Estethica designers adhere to at least one of the three Estethica
principles of fair-trade and ethical practices, organic and recycled
materials and are selected for both their ethical credentials and
design excellence.
In 2011, Estethica celebrated its 5th Anniversary as the industry’s
leading showcase of ethical fashion. Livia Firth and Harold Tillman
CBE hosted a celebratory evening on May 24th 2011 for guests including
past and present Estethica designers and industry experts at Almada,
Mayfair.
Estethica is co-curated by Orsola de Castro, founder of green label
From Somewhere, Filippo Ricci and The British Fashion Council.

12. Fashion Forward
• Scheme designed to help support Young British designers that have
already gone through the NEWGEN or NEWGEN MEN, or someone who is at
an equivalent stage of their career.
• The primary aim is to enable designers to show their collections at
London Fashion Week and develop their businesses through access to a
range of advisors. Fashion Forward applicants are selected by a
panel of key industry representatives including Caroline Rush, CEO,
BFC; Anna Orsini, BFC; Caroline Issa, Executive Fashion Director &
Publisher, Tank; David Watts, Business Support Manager, BFC; Katie
Bain, Show Manager, BFC; Melanie Smallwood, Head of eBay Fashion
Brands; Oscar Pinto-Hervia, Founder and Creative Director, Hervia;
Paula Reed, Fashion Director, Harvey Nichols and Sarah Mower MBE,
BFC Ambassador of Emerging Talent, Contributing Editor to US Vogue
and American Vogue.com.
Previous Fashion Forward winners include Christopher Kane, Erdem,
Giles Deacon, Jonathan Saunders, Louise Goldin, Marios Schwab,
Richard Nicoll, Roksanda Illincic and Todd Lynn.
The BFC Fashion Forward scheme is sponsored by eBay Fashion and
supported by Mayor of London.

15. NEWGEN + NEWGEN MEN
• In 1993 the British Fashion Council created New Generation (NEWGEN),
one of the world’s most internationally recognised talent
identification schemes. NEWGEN continues to showcase and promote new
designer businesses today. The scheme is sponsored by Topshop who
have been supporters since 2001. AW12 saw the 10th anniversary
celebrations of Topshop's continuous backing of the scheme at London
Fashion Week. Major celebrations of the ten years which have taken a
myriad of London NEWGEN designers to the top are planned for 2012.
• NEWGEN offers catwalk designers financial support towards their show
costs and the opportunity to use the BFC Catwalk Show Space. Others
receive sponsored presentation or exhibition space to showcase their
collections, offering an important introduction for young UK-based
designers to influential press and buyers from around the world.
NEWGEN also provides business and mentoring support through the BFC
in partnership with Shoosmiths, Baker Tilley and Lloyds TSB.
Since NEWGEN's inception, its roll call includes Alexander McQueen,
Boudicca, Matthew Williamson, Julien Macdonald, Lara Bohinc and Ann-
Louise Roswald and more recently Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab,
Richard Nicoll, Erdem, Mary Katrantzou and Meadham Kirchhoff.

16. BFC/Elle Talent Launch Pad
• The BFC/ELLE Talent Launch Pad complements the opportunities offered
by London Fashion Week by supporting selected young designers to
grow their businesses through marketing/PR opportunities and
building relationships with British retailers.
Designers eligible to apply for this initiative must have been in
business for no more than three years and will be selected by a
panel comprising key British retailers, brand development experts
and fashion influencers.
ELLE magazine will give the winning designers access to the
industry’s top stylists, photographers and creative directors and
provide the initiative extensive editorial and promotional support.
The BFC will partner with retailers to select talent and host in-
store events to stock and promote the winning designers collections
to their local audiences.