After revealing the shortlist last year, it’s been a nail biting couple of months for the finalists of this year’s BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund, but today, the British Fashion Council has announced the winner. Cue drum roll and congratulations for… Christopher Kane!
With a cash prize of £200,000 and access to director level mentors across the industry, the young British designer has certainly hit the fashion jackpot with this one, beating off stiff competition from the likes of Osman Yousefzada, Richard Nicoll, Peter Pilotto and Jonathan Saunders, to name a few, to build his business internationally.
“I am absolutely delighted to be this year’s winner of the BFC /Vogue Designer Fashion Fund,” said the Scotsman. “It is such an honour to receive this accolade especially when I have such huge respect for all the nominees. The prize enables us to implement our strategic vision for the Christopher Kane business going forward. We would like to thank everyone involved in making this decision and all those who have helped establish our business. We would especially like to thank our team who work incredibly hard every day and without whom none of this would be possible.”
Now in its second year, the BFC programme aims to enhance the reputation of some of London’s biggest rising design stars, assisting them with a bespoke tailored mentoring programme specifically designed to reach their business goals for the next 12 months and helping to lay the foundations for a small creative business to transition and flourish into a global fashion brand.
The fashion world better get ready for a Kane-ing (see what we did!?).
Congrats, Christopher!