The British Fashion Council’s Fashion Trust – led by co-chairs Tania Fares and Sian Westerman – has been integral to supporting, mentoring and developing emerging UK-based design talents since its 2011 inception. More than £2 million has been awarded to 42 design houses, with London Fashion Week on-schedule fixtures Christopher Kane, Erdem and Rejino Pyo among the alumni of the scheme.

Now, 2019 sees seven more designers split a £400,000 grant, which will be poured into strategic plans and business mentoring, from production and finance to e-commerce development. Among those awarded are Eudon Choi, Marta Jakubowski, Nabil Nayal, Paula Knorr and Roberts Wood – a roster of talents we've had on our radar of late, having met with them prior to their shows or having delved into their day-to-day happenings and creative psyches in our signature Through the Lens series.

 

Ahead of her Spring/Summer 2019 offering, German-born Paula Knorr – who's most lauded for her knack for tracing and mimicking the female form through drapery and sculptural designs – walked up through her design process. Meanwhile, in the midst of Autumn/Winter 2019 preparation, Vogue Talent Award winner, Katie Roberts-Wood of her namesake Roberts Wood, and shortlist for the LVMH prize and Woolmark Prize 2018, Marta Jakubowski, turned the camera on their daily life as we walked through their routines. Following the season, Nabil Nayal – a favourite of the late Karl Lagerfeld for his Elizabethan-inspired silhouettes – gave us entry into his mind for the day, while Eudon Choi bared all in our 8Qs (spoiler: if he wasn't in fashion he may well have been your dentist!).

With the grant helping the brands develop their creative identities while propelling them forward on a global stage, we mean it when we say these are the designers du jour to watch closely.

Shop the standout pieces from the recipients, here:

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