NewGen winners announced

(AFP PHOTO Adrian Dennis)

The British Fashion Council has announced that designers David Koma, Holly Fulton, Mary Katrantzou, Michael Van Der Ham and Peter Pilotto will receive catwalk sponsorship for the spring/summer 2011 season.

Designers in business for up to three years were eligible to apply in order to show their collections at London Fashion Week in September.

The 'NewGen' scheme, currently sponsored by retail giant Topshop, was set up in 1993 to support the best new designers at London Fashion Week. It helped launch the careers of some of Britain's biggest names in fashion design including Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson, and Julien Macdonald and, more recently, Giles Deacon, Gareth Pugh, and Christopher Kane.

Winners will not only receive financial support but also appear in key publications, on the London Fashion Week website and receive business advice from the British Fashion Council staff.

Last season's NewGen winners included House of Holland, Louise Goldin, Mark Fast, Mary Katrantzou, Meadham Kirchhoff, and Peter Pilotto.