'I am absolutely delighted to be this year’s winner of the BFC /Vogue Designer Fashion Fund. It is such an honour to receive this accolade especially when I have such huge respect for all the nominees. The prize enables us to implement our strategic vision for the Christopher Kane business going forward' - Christopher Kane
Christopher Kane is the winner of the 2011 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund. The Award, which is now in its second year, comprises of £200,000 and access to director level mentors across the industry. It was established to further enhance the reputation of London’s rising stars and assist in the development of their businesses.
The BFC will develop a bespoke mentoring programme tailored specifically to assist Christopher Kane in achieving his business goals for the next twelve months with the aspiration that the network developed during this year will endure throughout his career as he makes the transition from a developing creative business into a global fashion brand.
Christopher Kane was selected for this award based on a his business plan and presentation at interview to the judging panel. The presentation demonstrated both Christopher and Tammy Kane’s determination to meet an ambitious plan, through appointments and brand development opportunities. Eight designers were shortlisted by a panel of representatives of Fund sponsors. All of those shortlisted were then invited to present their collections and future plans to the judging panel of Fund sponsor representatives and industry experts chaired by Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue. All of those shortlisted will have access to support from the mentoring panel either directly or through Marigay McKee, Harrods Director of Fashion and Beauty who will chair the mentoring panel.
The Christopher Kane label was set up in 2006 and is jointly owned by Christopher and his sister and collaborator Tammy. Christopher trained at Central Saint Martins and won ‘New Designer of the Year’ at the British Fashion Awards in 2007. He also designs for Versus and his own name label is stocked in stores around the world including Barneys, Jeffreys, Browns, Liberty, Dover Street Market, Harvey Nichols, Net-a-Porter, Joyce, Maria Luisa, Printemps, and Corso Como. Find out more about Christopher...
'We would like to thank everyone involved in making this decision and all those who have helped establish our business. We would especially like to thank our team who work incredibly hard every day and without whom none of this would be possible' - Christopher Kane
Watch our video of the winner, including looks from his spring/summer 2011 show at London Fashion Week and a behind the scenes interview at the Shortlist Interview Day. Christopher tells us what winning the award will mean for him and his brand. We also speak to judging committee members Caroline Rush (BFC), Alexandra Shulman (Vogue) and Marigay McKee (Harrods) about the significance of the Fund.