The BFC and the Royal Academy Schools select 5 new pairs for the Fashion Arts Commissions

London - The British Fashion Council Fashion Arts Foundation and the Royal Academy Schools are set to collaborate with five new pairs for the second edition of the Fashion Arts Commissions, an innovative project which brings together the worlds of fashion and art.

The new project sees five of the most talented graduates from the RA Schools paired with five of the best new talents from the BFC's NEWGEN scheme, including: Liam Hodges and Nicky Carvell; Paula Knorr and Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom; Richard Malone and Marco Palmieri; Sadie Williams and Carla Busuttil; and Samuel Ross of A-COLD-WALL and Julie Born Schwartz.

“With this special project, we are taking fashion in a new direction,” says Caroline Rush CBE, Chief Executive, British Fashion Council in a statement. “The worlds of fashion and art have long since been intertwined, with many fashion designers looking at art for creative inspiration. The Fashion Arts Commissions aims to celebrate this intersection by bringing together future talents across these creative disciplines. Last year’s collaborations really proved how art and fashion combined have the power to create new expressions and our aim with this project is to shine a light on collective creative influence, through our brilliant design talents, both in the UK and internationally.”

Exchange between artist and designer

“The Royal Academy Schools is delighted to be working for a second year with the British Fashion Council to bring together emerging artists and designers," adds Eliza Bonham Carter, Head of the Royal Academy Schools and curator of Fashion Art Commissions. "The exchange between the designer and artist of differing approaches, attitudes, material and manual knowledge and their personal processes of thinking, result in the creation of previously unimagined objects, images, installations and ideas. The value of this process lies not only in these bold, surprising and intriguing works of art, but also in the process by which they are achieved, which will inform the practice of each participant long into the future”.

The artworks were showcased during London Fashion at 180 Strand and will be presented to the public at an exhibition at Christie's King Street Gallery from March 12 to 15. The exclusive works of art will also be available for purchase during the event, with all proceeds going to the BFC Fashion Arts Foundation, one of the BFC's registered charities. Launched in 2016, The Fashion Arts Commissions aims to foster creativity and encourage future talent to collaborate across a variety of art forms.

Photo: British Fashion Council website