Bianca Saunders, Art School, and Aries among recipients of BFC Fashion Fund

From Alexander McQueen and John Galliano right through to the likes of Art School, Rottingdean Bazaar, and Mowalola, Britain’s young designers have long been regarded as some of the most creative, boundary-pushing and avant-garde, so it goes without saying that, in the aftermath of the coronavirus, the scene should be protected at all costs. 

Step in the British Fashion Council, who last month announced a new initiative named the BFC Foundation Fashion Fund, which seeks to support fledgling brands and rising talents affected by the pandemic. 

Now, the recipients of the £1 million emergency fund have been revealed, with Bianca Saunders, Priya Ahluwalia, Paria Farzaneh, Per Götesson, and Stefan Cooke among them. Each will be awarded up to £50,000, with access to a mentorship scheme and the BFC’s vast business network, which includes Farfetch, LVMH, and Instagram.

In total, 37 British designers will be supported using the initial £1m fund, including Craig Green, Aries, Art School, Matty Bovan, Nicholas Daley, Kwaidan Editions, and Charles Jeffrey, with a portion of the money also offered to students in a bid to support the next generation of fashion talent. With applications reopening each time the fund is topped up by £500,000, the likes of Alexander McQueen, London boutique Browns, and Coach have all made contributions to safeguard the future of British Fashion.

Revisit Art School's SS20 show above.