British Fashion Council and GQ Designer Menswear Fund announced

Emerging London menswear talents Christopher Raeburn, Christopher Shannon, E. Tautz, Lou Dalton and Richard Nicoll have been shortlisted for the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund shortlist 2014. Something of a boost for the London menswear scene, it’s the first time that the city’s menswear designers will benefit from their own dedicated prize fund. 

„The shortlisted designers are testament to the extraordinary array of talent in the menswear industry in Britain right now,“ said Dylan Jones, Editor of British GQ and Chair of London Collections: Men. „The current generation of British menswear designers might be the best ever, as they not only have creativity in abundance, but also a keen business sense.“

The five finalists will participate in a special mentoring program over the next month featuring expert industry advice on branding, leadership, commercial retail, e-tail and wholesale and digital innovation. They will then go on to present their business plans to the judging panel in June this year, with the winner receiving a £150,000 (US$252,000) grant, along with £50,000 (US$82,000) value in kind services and another 12 months of mentoring. 

Massimiliano Pogliani, CEO of Vertu was also excited by the link-up between the fashion world and the British luxury technology company: „I was incredibly impressed with the passion, creativity and business acumen that each designer showcased in the application stage and my team and I look forward to the opportunity to work with the designers to help them further develop their businesses.“

The debut edition of the Designer Menswear Fund is the latest development in a concerted effort by the British Fashion Council to kickstart London as the global center of menswear, including the successful biannual London Collections: Men event.