Posted by Rebekah Roy on March 31st, 2010
One of the biggest concerns amongst fashion designers is funding. It’s not easy to be a new designer in any country, and often before one has access to funding you have to prove yourself – without funding, which is a bit of a Catch-22 situation. Once you get to a certain level, though, it’s also very tough to progress because it takes a lot more funding and expertise to build a brand and establish an actual sustainable business. To help address this the British Fashion Council and Vogue have launched the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, a legacy project for the BFC’s 25th anniversary celebrations, and it a big funding award, worth £200,000.00!
The Fund is supported by Arcadia Group, Burberry, Clothing at Tesco, Debenhams, Harrods, House of Fraser, HSBC Commercial Bank, Jaeger / Aquascutum, Marks & Spencer, Paul Smith, TONI & GUY, Vogue and Westfield Shopping Towns.
Today the very first funding was awarded to Canadian designer Erdem Moralioglu. Erdem grew up in Montreal with a British mother and Turkish father. He left Canada to do his MA at the Royal College of Art, where graduated in 2003. He then went to New York to work with Diane von Furstenberg and in 2005 he returned to the UK to launch his ready-to-wear label.
Erdem has been not only been awarded £200,000 but also access to director level mentors. This may be his biggest award but not it’s not his first (or his last) – he won the Swarovski British Fashion Council Fashion Enterprise Award in 2007, BFC’s Fashion Forward in 2008, and in 2009, and Elle Magazine awarded Erdem the “Fashion Future Award”.
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.
Erdem Moralioglu commented "I am thrilled to be the winner of the BFC Vogue Fashion Fund. It is an honor. The prize will help us to take our business to the next level. It is so integral for us to be showing in London and the support of the BFC and Vogue will allow us to grow our business internationally. It is such exciting time for us."
Erdem is now sold in more than 50 premiere department and specialty stores, such as Barney’s New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Harvey Nichols, Dover St. Market, Colette, Browns, Ikram, Beams, Theresa, Banner, Luisa via Roma and net-a-porter.com.
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Tags: Browns, designers, I am Canadian
Posted by Rebekah Roy on October 15th, 2009
Sarah Bailey, Deputy Editor of Harpers Bazaar with the understated and very charming Jason Wu. His collection is lovely and he sold so many pieces that he had to go back to his hotel to find more dresses for the window. Jason is chatty and delightful – you want to listen to all his stories and he makes you feel like a long lost friend. He chats about baking macaroons and eating waffles with milk chocolate with whipped cream (They are sold outside Bond Street station.)
When I asked Jason about his favourite dress he said they are like his children he loves them all and can’t choose just one!! He was inspired by Tim Burton’s films and he loves The Nightmare Before Christmas. You can see it in the stitching of some of his dresses!
Jason is also Canadian and so far he’s most famous for the dress Michelle Obama wore to the inaugural ball!
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Posted by Rebekah Roy on September 11th, 2009
.jpg "Fashions Night Out in London!")
Jessica Bumpus of Vogue.com, Courtney Blackman and me ready for Fashion’s Night Out! Our first stop was Browns on South Molton Street!
Designers at Browns! The Felder Felder sister, Roksanda Illincic, Marios Schwab, Jonathan Saunders, Antonio Berardi, Ben Grimes and Lily Parker (of LP.BG), Henry Holland, Mario Schwab and William Tempest. There were so many designer that I’m not even sure who’s who!
Roksanda Ilincic Jonathan Saunders and Erin Mullaney of Browns
Mario Schwab Courtney Blackman of Fashion Business Club with William Tempest
You could purchase a Fashion Night Out T-shirt for £10 and all the designers were happy to sign it!
From Bond Street to South Molton everything was just buzzing. I felt like a little kid at Halloween, just excited to go from one place to the next!
After a fun night at Browns we venturned over to Diane von Furstenberg, where Gabriella Piccini works as international business director, and ran into the lovely and super fun Lauretta Roberts of WGSN and brand partnerships manager at My-Wardrobe.com, Antony Hawman.
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Posted by Rebekah Roy on June 26th, 2009
Osman Yousefzada with FBC co-founder Courtney Blackman.
It was a small yet lovely event with Colin McDowell, Erin Mullaney (Browns Buying Director, Womenswear & Focus), Zoe Kuipers (Communications Director of Browns), freelance fashion journalist Avril Groom,
Mariella Tandy (Retail Editor of Tatler), Marcio Quintela (Browns Stylist) and of course some very loyal shoppers!
Everything in size 8 was sold out before the event even started. Osman had one of his assistants run back to the studio just to pick up a few more pieces!
I love these icy coloured dresses, everything is so pale but there is a coziness about them. On the right, I call it the skater dress – it just seems perfect to go ice skating in! These looks have a simple understated elegance – they are luxurious pieces without screaming about one’s wealth.
The famous Yousefezada trapeze dress!
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Posted by Rebekah Roy on January 31st, 2009
You might think that because knitwear designer Mark Fast grew up in Winnipeg that his garments would be warm and cosy but he’s created some of the chicest and sexist knitwear around! Think corsetry, Elizabethan/Joan of Arc and a hint of S&M. Mark knits everything by hand on a domestic knitting machine.
Mark studied fashion design at Seneca College in Toronto. He then moved to London and did a foundation in Fashion Design at London College of Fashion. He did a BA and MA in Fashion Design with Knitwear at Central St. Martins. He also worked with Bora Aksu for a few seasons.
Mark Fast will be showing at London Fashion Week on February 24th!
Mark is presently living in London.
In Canada you can purchase Mark Fast at Holt Renfrew and in London at Browns.
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