The British Fashion Council (BFC) today announced Nicholas Kirkwood as the winner of this year’s BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund. The prize of £200,000, now in its fourth year, was established to further enhance the reputation of London’s rising stars and assist in the development of their businesses.
The choice to award Kikwood was based on his and business partner Christopher Suarez’s professional three-year plan and presentation at interview that demonstrated, according to the BFC, “exceptional skill in building a modern, individual and recognisable accessories line and was very clear on his business growth strategy and the key challenges he would like to address with the support of the Fund and its advisors”.
The BFC will develop a bespoke mentoring programme tailored specifically to assist Kirkwood to achieve his business goals for the next 18 months, with the aspiration that the network developed during this mentoring year will endure throughout his career as he makes the transition from a developing creative business into a global fashion brand.
An alumnus of London design schools Central Saint Martins and Cordwainers, Kirkwood’s architecturally inspired collection launched in the Spring of 2005 and won the attention of the fashion industry and clients such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Grace Jones, Daphne Guinness and Cecilia Dean. Kirkwood has recently opened flagship stores in London and New York and other stockists include 10 Corso Como (Milan), Barneys (New York) and Lane Crawford (Hong Kong).