Emerging Talent Initiative Supported by Pull&Bear
The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced the designers selected for the 2024/25 NEWGEN programme. NEWGEN, the BFC’s longest-standing and internationally celebrated initiative, supports emerging talent in partnership with Pull&Bear. The program aims to develop global, responsible fashion brands.
Each year, a panel of industry experts, chaired by Sarah Mower MBE, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent, selects designers based on creativity, design aesthetic, and uniqueness. The designers chosen for 2024/25 are:
- AARON ESH
- ANCUȚA SARCA
- Charlie Constantinou*
- Chet Lo
- DERRICK
- DI PETSA
- HARRI
- JOHANNA PARV*
- Karoline Vitto*
- Kazna Asker
- Leo Carlton
- LUEDER*
- MASHA POPOVA
- Paolo Carzana
- Pauline Dujancourt*
- Sinéad O’Dwyer
- Steve O Smith*
- The Winter House
- TOLU COKER
- YAKU*
(*First year as a BFC NEWGEN recipient)
BFC NEWGEN provides designers with financial grants, showcasing opportunities, and individual mentoring and training sessions to help develop their business skills. Last month, the BFC announced Pull&Bear as the new Principal Partner for BFC NEWGEN, offering direct financial support, mentorship, and a platform for storytelling through its new experiential vertical ‘Canvas for Creativity’.
Applications for the programme were open from January 15th to March 1st, 2024, in categories including Ready to Wear (RTW) Womenswear, RTW Menswear, and Accessories. The final panel included notable figures such as Anita Chhiba, Creative Director of Diet Paratha; Anna Orsini, Strategic Consultant for the BFC; Christopher Morency, Co-Founder of edition+partners; Ella Lucia, Stylist, Costume Designer, and Creative Director; Francois Souchet, Managing Director of Swanstant; Hetty Mahlich, Editor of SHOWstudio; Karen Binns, Editor and Publisher; Matthew Whitehouse, Editor of The Face; Nasir Mazhar, Designer and Founder of Fantastic Toiles; Odunayo Ojo, Freelance Fashion Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of The Fashion Archive Magazine; Oscar de Castro Pedrouzo, Global Communications Director for Pull&Bear; Rhea Dillon, Artist, Writer, and Founder of Studio Studio; Roksanda Ilinčić MBE, Founder and Creative Director of Roksanda; Stavros Karelis, Founder and Creative Director of MACHINE-A; and Yvie Hutton, Director of Membership and Designer Relations at the BFC.
Since its inception in 1993, BFC NEWGEN has supported numerous designers, including Alexander McQueen, Bianca Saunders, Christopher Kane, Duro Olowu, Grace Wales Bonner, Kim Jones, Jonathan Anderson, and Richard Quinn.
The BFC expresses gratitude to Pull&Bear, DLA Piper for pro-bono legal services, RSM for tax and accounting support, Zedonk, the Fashion Business Network, one-to-one mentors, and The Mills Fabrica for hosting the BFC NEWGEN panel.
