The British Fashion Council (BFC) has today announced the recipients of its
designer support initiative NEWGEN MEN sponsored by Topman. New recipients Christopher
Shannon and J.W.
Anderson join inaugural recipients of NEWGEN MEN Carolyn Massey and
James Long who will
all receive showcase funding and the opportunity to use the official BFC show
venue at Somerset House to show their collections during London Fashion Week’s
menswear day, on Wednesday 24th February 2010.
Newcomer Christopher
Shannon’s luxe sportswear inspired collections and wearable collaborations with
Eastpak and Topman, as well as LFW credentials having shown as part of the MAN
initiative, make him one to watch come February. J.W. Anderson’s intriguing
silhouettes and romantic detailing have affirmed his stature as one of the most
promising emerging menswear designers in London.
Carolyn Massey’s
quintessentially English designs and James Long’s ability to push the boundaries
whilst creating truly wearable pieces once again impressed the NEWGEN MEN
Selection Committee made up of key opinion formers from media and retail. This
season the panel included BFC CEO (Joint) and Panel Chair Simon Ward; Adam
Kelly, Selfridges; Charlie Porter, Fantastic Man; Dylan Jones, GQ; Gordon
Richardson, Topman; Jeremy Langmead, Esquire; Lulu Kennedy, Fashion East;
Patrick Grant, Norton & Sons; Sarah Mower, Style.com / Vogue US and BFC
Ambassador for Emerging Talent; Stephen Ayres, Liberty; Terry Betts, Harvey
Nichols; Tim Blanks, Style.com.
NEWGEN MEN follows on from the success of
the MAN show and will support emerging menswear talent with business support and
showcasing opportunities at London’s dedicated menswear day which will take
place for the third season at the end of LFW after the womenswear shows.
Simon Ward, Joint Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council
commented “NEWGEN MEN got off to a really strong start when it launched in
September 2009 and the quality of applicants for this season shows what an
incredible job many menswear designers are doing in this country right now. I am
looking forward to a full menswear day of emerging and established talent next
February.”
Sarah Mower, the BFC’s Ambassador for Emerging Talent, said
"'All young designer businesses need to put in foundations on which to build a
future - and one of them is the experience of what it takes to show and project
themselves to press and public. London's nascent menswear designers have never
had the same kind of opportunity to do that as womens’ in this city - so it's
really significant that they are now able to compete for visibility on the same
kind of footing - and that there is now a dedicated menswear day on the London
Fashion Week calendar. It's a mark of London's dynamic flexibility and quick
response to identifying potential that the New Gen initiative, with its cache of
experience and the free and willing support of great industry figures as
panellists, has been expanded to embrace this spontaneous upgrowth of fresh
talent.'
Gordon Richardson, Design Director, Topman, who was also on the
selection panel, adds "The second season of NEWGEN MEN highlights the diversity
and ever increasing maturity of the new breed of Menswear designers operating in
the UK today. It also acts as a signal to young fledgling designers to take
explore Menswear as a viable fashion career, in turn enriching the future
Menswear arena. Topman is proud and excited to be part of this men’s fashion
revolution.”
London Fashion Week’s womenswear shows will run from Friday
19th February – Tuesday 23rd February 2010, and menswear collections will be
shown on Wednesday 24th February. LFW will be located at Somerset House, The
Strand WC2.
For more information on the NEWGEN MEN designers visit www.britishfashioncouncil.com/newgenmen
Designers wishing to apply for NEWGEN MEN sponsorship please
contact:
Katie Bain
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7759 1978
katie.bain@britishfashioncouncil.com