At the heart of BFC 2030: Access, Creativity, Growth strategy, to support excellence in design education, sits the BFC Campus (previously BFC Colleges Council). Founded in 1993 to create an interface between education and industry, the BFC Campus is a membership programme representing the leading fashion departments in universities across the UK.
The aim is to connect an extensive network of experienced course leaders with the fashion and wider creative industries together in support of arts and fashion education.
BFC Campus organises an annual programme of events and competitions to offer students and course leaders the chance to interact with the industry, enriching education and creating opportunities.
34 UK universities in the BFC Campus network
47 fashion courses, plus other adjacent disciplines
12,000 BA and MA students (approx.) across the network
£64,000 in student prizes from industry competitions (2025/26)
£296,000 in BFC Foundation scholarship grants for students (2026/27)
Learn more about BFC Campus →
BFC FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
The BFC Scholarships Programme nurtures the next generation of fashion talent into viable industry careers, recognising the breadth of skills that underpin British fashion – from craft, manufacturing and heritage to contemporary design. The programme supports emerging talent at every stage of development, from young people exploring fashion through to students and designers shaping the industry’s future.
The BFC Scholarships Programme supports students studying BA and MA Fashion Design courses at a BFC Campus university, providing tailored financial support, skills development and mentoring, connecting recipients to industry expertise and real-world practice.
Delivered in collaboration with leading fashion brands, each scholarship is designed to support emerging voices and encourage new perspectives across fashion, creativity and innovation, reflecting the ambitions of the BFC 2030: Access, Creativity, Growth strategy.
Students apply through one central application process and may be considered for multiple scholarships during selection.
Non-UK students may also be eligible in cases of exceptional personal circumstances, including hardship resulting from conflict, economic instability or estrangement. Further information can be found within the application guidance.
Scholarships Available for 2026/27:
- BFC Barbour Scholarship
- BFC Chanel Scholarship
- BFC COS Scholarship
- BFC Dior Scholarship
- BFC Joe Casely-Hayford Scholarship
- BFC Saint Laurent Scholarship
With special thanks to the generous partners of the BFC Scholarship Programme, whose support helps create access to opportunity.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
COMPETITIONS
Competitions are organised throughout the academic year to offer course leaders and students the opportunity to interact with the industry, gaining invaluable insight and experience in the process, as well as cash prizes for the winner/s and sometimes paid internship opportunities.
Industry partners past and present:
Ahluwalia · Barbour · BRICKS Magazine · British Library · Burberry · Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY · DAZED MEDIA · Givenchy · LABRUM London · MTV · NET-A-PORTER · Netflix · Pandora · Paolo Carzana · Stella McCartney · Supriya Lele · TANK Magazine · The Materialist
BFC BARBOUR Tartan Reimagined Competition · 2025/26
5 winners · £5,000 each · Exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery
BA and MA students reimagined Barbour’s signature family tartan and wax fabrics, creating original garments that honour the brand’s values of craftsmanship, utility and heritage. Winners received mentoring from the design team at Barbour’s Newcastle head office, and their work was exhibited during London Fashion Week.
Winners: Lorcan Wigg (UAL Central Saint Martins) · Yunho Koh (UAL London College of Fashion) · Erin Hammond, Leo Hill-Daniel & Stanimir Ivanov (University of Salford)
Read the article →
BFC BRITISH LIBRARY x LABRUM Research Competition · 2024/25
£3,000 prize · A permanent role in the LABRUM team
Students used the British Library’s collections and LABRUM London’s SS25 collection to explore how migration and movement blend cultures, creating a capsule collection or communication campaign. Six finalists were interviewed by an industry panel, followed by a talk with Foday Dumbuya.
Winner: Ealish Withington (University of Edinburgh)
Read the article →
BFC DAZED ‘Beyond Borders’ Competition · 2023/24
2 winners · £1,500 each · Featured on Dazed Digital
Students pitched ideas inspired by Dazed’s Autumn issue, and six finalists took part in a real photoshoot at Dazed Studios, creating full looks or leading casting, photography and art direction. Winners received mentoring from the Dazed team.
Winners: Llyr Evans (Central Saint Martins) · Yiting Jiang (University of Westminster)
Read the article →
BFC x NET-A-PORTER & MR PORTER Education Fund · 2024
4 winners · £12,500 each · Bespoke mentoring programme
Supporting final year BA students at the grass-roots stage of their career, across BFC Campus member courses and three international universities: Parsons School of Design, TAFE and ESMOD.
Winners: Flora Mcfarlane (The Glasgow School of Art) · Hadisa Ahmad Tabussam (Manchester Metropolitan University) · Matthew Empringham (Central Saint Martins) · Renée-Shanel Edwards (University of Westminster)
Read the article →
Have an idea for a competition? Email education@britishfashioncouncil.com
EVENTS AND ACTIVATIONS
The BFC Campus programme runs a series of online and physical events for member universities.
Recent activations included:
- Amanda Harlech in conversation with Alexander Fury
- Sarah Mower MBE, Chief Critic, Vogue Runway, in conversation with NEWGEN alumni Nasir Mazhar, Paria Farzaneh and Richard Malone
- Kenya Hunt, Editor-in-Chief, ELLE UK, in conversation with Karen Binns, Creative Director, Stylist & Consultant
- Foday Dumbuya, LABRUM London, in an online masterclass with British Library curators
- Paolo Carzana in an online masterclass with British Library curators
- Anjelica Roselyn: A visual guide to Fashion Illustration and portfolio building
London Fashion Week
Each London Fashion Week, BFC Campus members also have the opportunity to apply for a slot on the LFW schedule (show fees apply) or be part of the LFW digital platform.
BFC Graduate Preview
In June 2024, 24 BFC Campus member universities were spotlighted as part of BFC Graduate Preview, which became a digital activation showcased as part of London Fashion Week.
BFC GRADUATE PREVIEW
BFC Graduate Preview focuses on spotlighting BFC Campus fashion design students to fashion recruiters, industry representatives, course leaders, and designers. It is a showcase of the best emerging talent underpinning the creative future of the fashion industry from across the UK. To provide an equal opportunity for all institutions, BFC Graduate Preview 2024 was open to all universities in our BFC Campus, at no extra cost.
BFC Graduate Preview 2024 moved entirely online, becoming a digital activation and re-launching as part of LFW40 in June, to celebrate 40 years of London Fashion Week. The 40 activities focused on celebrating the creativity, communities and culture that make the UK fashion landscape so unique. BFC Graduate Preview 2024 was spotlighted across the London Fashion Week website, attracting even more BFC networks, creative communities and international audiences, who were able to discover graduates’ work.
Visit the BFC Graduate Preview Portal →
BFC STUDENT FABRIC INITIATIVE
The BFC Student Fabric Initiative is a deadstock donation project created to encourage the donation of quality fabrics and components to students studying at BFC Campus member universities. This is a charitable initiative that the BFC undertakes on a yearly basis, and comes at no cost to those universities. The purpose is to help students get access to free quality materials and to normalise the use of deadstock as part of their design practice.
In 2025/26, the BFC Student Fabric Initiative, powered by The Materialist, provided free donated deadstock fabrics from leading brands to BFC Campus members, with nationwide delivery managed by The Materialist.
Donors included:
Alexander McQueen · Burberry · Jimmy Choo · Margaret Howell · Qasimi
BFC TANK MAGAZINE Student Fabric Initiative Competition · 2025/26
2 winners · £1,500 each · Featured in TANK’s June/Summer issue
BA and MA students chose a Design or Comms pathway, applying TANK’s critical lens to create a garment or textile object made entirely from upcycled or donated materials, or a zine using fashion as a narrative and critical medium. Winners’ work was displayed in TANK’s gallery space, and all shortlisted students received an exclusive TANK package.
Winners: Henriette Lindgren (Ravensbourne University London) · Yunho Koh (UAL London College of Fashion)
NATIONAL SATURDAY CLUB
The BFC is a long-term partner of the National Saturday Club (NSC). The NSC offers a free, year-long creative education programme of weekly Saturday classes and national events for 13-16 year-olds from diverse backgrounds across the country, with a particular focus on widening participation. Since 2009, the National Saturday Club has enabled 9,500 13-16 year-olds to study many disciplines at their local university, college or cultural institution on Saturday mornings, creating life-changing experiences for those who have taken part.
As part of this partnership, the BFC organises an industry Masterclass for each of the Fashion&Business Clubs. Masterclasses provide a chance for young people to take part in a one-off session led by industry experts and offer an insight into the fashion industry, spotlighting the various career opportunities available with a joyful and experimental activity during the session. Learn more on the Fashion&Business Saturday Club supported by the BFC HERE.
The 2022/23 programme of masterclasses included sessions with:
Alexander McQueen · Manolo Blahnik · DAZED · ELV Denim · Richard Malone
Past masterclasses were hosted by:
GQ · Royal Opera House · Nike · ASOS · WGSN · Butler Archive · i-D Magazine · Rottingdean Bazaar · Apple · Helen Kirkum
For any enquiries please email: education@britishfashioncouncil.com