Molly Goddard wins BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund
loading...
London Fashion Week favourite Molly Goddard, who has taken the fashion scene by storm with her tulle dresses, has been named as the recipient of the 2018 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund.
Goddard, won the award, which includes a 200,000 pound cash prize, against tough competition from David Koma, Huishan Zhang, Le Kilt, Marques Almeida and Rejina Pyo.
The fashion fund shortlisted designers all had to present their collections and business plans to a judging panel chaired by Vogue editor Edward Enninful featuring representatives from businesses who support the Fund and industry experts, including British Fashion Council chief executive Caroline Rush, designer Erdem, Sarah Manley from Burberry, model Jourdann Dunn and Xia Ding of JD.com.
As winner, Goddard not only scoops the cash prize but will also receive 12 months of expert mentoring through the British Fashion Council’s business support team, which will include a roundtable hosted by Sir Paul Smith and a mentoring session from Rodial’s Maria Hatzistefanis.
All shortlisted designers will have access to the mentoring programme, as well as taking part in a catwalk show hosted by JD.com in Shanghai to showcase their collections to the Chinese market.
In addition, award-winning law firm Mishcon de Reya is providing pro-bono legal advice to the finalists and winner.
Enninful, who chaired the panel, said of Goddard in a statement: “Molly Goddard is an original, she has a singular vision that has propelled her label to an international level. She is the definition of talent and what Britain does best in our creative industry.”
Previous winners of the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund include Christopher Kane, Erdem, Jonathan Saunders, Mary Katrantzou, Mother of Pearl, Nicholas Kirkwood, Palmer//Harding, Peter Pilotto and Sophia Webster.
British Fashion Council names Goddard BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner and 2018/19 NewGen line-up
The news coincided with the announcement of the 2018/19 NewGen line-up, which includes Alighieri, Isosceles, Matty Bovan, Per Gotesson, Supriya Lele and The Season Hats all receiving NewGen support for the first time this year.
They join designers A-Cold-Wall*, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Halpern, Kiko Kostadinov, Liam Hodges, Nicholas Daley, Paula Knorr, Phoebe English, Richard Malone, Richard Quinn, Wales Bonner who will all continue to receive support to showcase at London Fashion Week Men’s in June or London Fashion Week in September.
While the ‘One to Watch’ support was awarded to Bianca Saunders and Pariah Farzaneh, who will be given exhibition space in the LFW Designer Showrooms at The Store Studios this September.
Designers who have now graduated from the NewGen scheme include Cottweiler, Marta Jakubowski, Molly Goddard and Sadie Williams.
Commenting on the NewGen recipients and Goddard’s win, Rush added in a statement: “I would like to thank all our supporters without whom this would have not been possible, from our patrons to all the funders, sponsors and mentors who give their time pro-bono to help us develop and grow the exciting designer businesses we have in the UK.
“Huge congratulations to the 2018 NewGen recipients and to Molly Goddard, winner of the 2018 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund. All these designers represent the most creative and innovative talent our country has to offer and we look forward to working with them to raise their profile even more on the international fashion stage.”
In addition, the British Fashion Council confirmed that it has raised more than 2.2 million pounds to support emerging talent in the UK in 2017 via its charities and business support services, such as the BFC Education Foundation, The BFC Trust and NewGen.
Images: courtesy of British Fashion Council