Fashion Awards 2016 successfully raise 700,000 pounds for future talent

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has raised a total of 700,000 pounds during its inaugural fundraiser gala held during the Fashion Awards 2016.

The awards, which took place December 5, saw 4000 individuals from the fashion industry come together, including designers, brands, business leaders, editors and creators to celebrate the best of British fashion talent and raise funds to help support the BFC Education Foundation. The event also welcomed 260 fashion students from across the UK as guests of the BFC, making it the largest event to date.

British Fashion Council raises 300,000 pounds for the BFC Educational Foundation

From the 700,000 pounds raised, 300,000 pounds will be donated to the BFC Educational Foundation, to support young British talent via scholarships. This amount is the single largest donation the BFC has received since it was founded and is enough to support 25 candidates scholarships. The remaining 400,000 pounds will go to support NEWGEN, Business Support and the BFC Colleges Council.

"We are delighted that the event has enabled us to make the largest single donation to the BFC Education Foundation since it was first established in 1997," said Caroline Rush CBE, CEO of the British Fashion Council in a statement. "At this moment in time, sending a strong and clear message that London is a city that is commercially and culturally open, and that our global industry can come together and collaborate is incredibly powerful."

The BFC and Swarovski, partner of the Fashion Awards, are both committed to ensuring young talent from all backgrounds are able to have access to the best education possible. With the BFC Education Foundation the trade body aims to create a lifeline of support for future talent and create a sustainable source of funding for British fashion education and talent.

"As exciting and glamorous as the awards event was, the evening’s main purpose was as a fundraiser and it was hugely successful," added Dame Natalie Massenet, Chairman of the British Fashion Council. "The goal, to raise 10 million pounds over the next 10 years for the BFC Education Foundation. We are delighted however, that the international fashion industry came together in London in support of our British talent pipeline which ultimately forms a crucial part of the entire industry."

The BFC aims to offer financial, promotional and educations supports to British designers at numerous stages of both their educations and careers via its designer support initiatives. These include the Colleges Council, an initiative which brings together 30 British colleges offers BA and MA scholarships through the charity; BFC Fashion Film; Rock Vault its fine jewellery initiative; Headonism, a millinery initiative; and its menswear and womenswear talent identification, business support and showcasing schemes NEWGEN, the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund and Future British.

Photo Credits: Daniel Leal-Olivas /AFP/Courtesy of the British Fashion Council/Fashion Awards