Sophia Webster Wins 2016 British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund
Photo: WWD
Sophia Webster, London based accessories designer, has had a busy few months! In February she showed “I Myself, Am Strange and Unusual” – her gothic ‘Beetlejuice’ inspired footwear line, and earlier this month she launched her first full handbag line while announcing that she will open a boutique on Mayfair’s Mount Street.
As if that wasn’t enough, last night it was announced that Webster is the winner of the 2016 British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund prize! With this win, she will receive a £200,000 grant (about $288,000) and a year of mentoring by some of the biggest names in fashion.
Sophia Webster won the competition’s Emerging Accessories Designer Award in 2013, and was also in the running for the Fashion Fund prize last year – but this is the year she gets to take away the top prize – beating out other nominees Osman, Emilia Wickstead, Mother of Pearl and Prism. Previous winners of this prestigious award include Christopher Kane, Peter Pilotto, Mary Katrantzou, Erdem, and Sophie Webster’s onetime mentor Nicholas Kirkwood.
“For one thing, we are going to be able to get new offices, given we are bursting out of our current ones, and fund our own stand-alone store. I am just overwhelmed by what this means, both for me and my team, and so proud of what we have achieved and been rewarded for.” Webster said after accepting the award.
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Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, and one of the competition’s judges spoke about Webster’s win, “It was such a tough decision process. It has been every year, frankly. But ultimately we felt that Sophia, as well as being a fantastic designer, also had such a strong understanding of what the drivers of her business were and how she could grow it in the long term. The judges were confident that she would give us the strongest return on investment on our decision this year.”
Congratulations Sophia! We can’t wait to see what you come up with next.
