Kane Wins Major BFC/Vogue Award
the Scottish designer whose evening job is designing Versace’s Versus collection in Milan – has won the British Fashion Council’s BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund award, nabbing 200,000 pounds, or $275,000, in the process.
Kane follows debut winner Erdem Moralioglu, who picked up the inaugural prize, created to develop emerging U.K.-based talent. The Designer Fashion Fund prize, launched in September 2009, as part of the BFC’s 25th anniversary celebrations, is a joint reward between the BFC and UK Vogue.
Besides the cash, the award provides access to director level mentors across the industry, helping to enhance London’s reputation as a design star incubator.
“I am absolutely delighted to be this year’s winner of the BFC /Vogue Designer Fashion Fund. It is such an honor to receive this accolade especially when I have such huge respect for all the nominees,” said Kane.
Kane faced stiff competition for the prize – including fellow women’s wear designers Osman Yousefzada, Richard Nicoll, Peter Pilotto, and Jonathan Saunders. Menswear candidates included Patrick Grant of E Tautz and shoe designers Nicholas Kirkwood and Charlotte Dellal of Charlotte Olympia.
During the next 12 months, the BFC will develop a “bespoke mentoring” program to help Kane make the transition from a fledgling label into a proper global fashion brand.
“All finalists presented professional plans and although the competition was incredibly close, Christopher Kane’s success to date and brand development proposition secured him the prize this year,” commented BFC Chairman, Harold Tillman on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
All eight short-listed designers were required to exhibit their collections and future plans to the judging panel chaired by Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue.
“He represents the best of British fashion talent – original, determined and influential,” enthused Shulman about Kane.
Kane launched his house in 2006 and it is jointly owned with his sister and key collaborator Tammy. A graduate of Central Saint Martins and New Designer of the Year award winner at the British Fashion Awards in 2007, Kane’s clothes retail in the fashion boutiques, such as Barneys, Jeffreys, Browns, Liberty, Dover Street Market, Harvey Nichols, Net-a-Porter, Joyce, Maria Luisa, Printemps, and Corso Como.
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