The 2020 BFC / Vogue Designer Fashion Fund Will Be Split Six Ways

The BFC / Vogue Designer Fashion Fund is traditionally a hard-fought contest between a talented shortlist of young designers, all of whom have proven they embody the creativity innate to the British fashion scene, and who want to take their nascent businesses to the next level. The 2020 competition, however, will be marked by a unique development: the £200,000 prize money, and accompanying mentorship programme, will be split across each of the six shortlisted brands for the very first time.

The decision to split the prize money was taken in early March when the coronavirus, and Covid-19, began to take hold in the UK. “At this unprecedented time, we need to do our utmost to protect and nurture the young talents that bring so much energy and excitement to the British fashion industry,” reflected British Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful. “It’s a very challenging time, and we want to make sure the message is clear: We are here to support you.”

The move comes as the BFC announced the launch of the BFC Foundation Covid Crisis Fund, which will make £1 million of emergency funds available to designer businesses, with a portion of funds allocated to fashion students. The fund has been created through the pooling of the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund, the BFC Fashion Trust and BFC NEWGEN.

Applications for funding from the new BFC Foundation Covid Crisis Fund will open within the next seven days, with applications closing on 10th April. The criteria for funding is five-fold and stipulations include, but are not limited to, businesses that are based in the UK, and are majority-owned by the designer or creative director with no outside equity funding.

Looking ahead to the mens’ shows in June, while no hard decisions have been made, the BFC said it was looking to “focus on digital activity, enabling designers, retailers and media to tell their stories through content.”