BFC is delighted to announce the recipients of our 2022/2023 BFC Foundation BA and MA Scholarship schemes. The scholarships provide funding to those who have an offer from, or are currently studying for, an MA or BA at a BFC Colleges Council member college. Nine new MA students will be awarded this year, joining four current MA recipients. Additionally, fourteen new BA students will be awarded this year, joining four returning BA recipients. All applications are assessed based on talent and financial need, using information provided during the application process including a portfolio, the applicant’s financial circumstances and references provided. Shortlisted applications are reviewed by panels of industry representatives.
This year’s MA scholarships recipients 2022/23 are:
MA Scholarship
Angelica Ellis and Ross Palmer, both studying at Royal College of Art, are this year’s recipients. The MA Scholarship is available to students accepted on an MA Fashion Design course in the UK. The scholarship helps towards course tuition fees with a contribution to course costs or living expenses.
MA Final Year Scholarship
Alexander Neil, London College of Fashion, Anastasiia Halushko, Birmingham City University, and Francesca Lake and Isabelle MacInnes, both from Central Saint Martins, are this year’s recipients. The MA Final Year Scholarship is offered to students in their final year of an MA Fashion Design course in the UK to cover costs to produce their final collections.
CHANEL MA Scholarship
Joshua Ewusie, Central Saint Martins, is this year’s recipient. The MA Scholarship, funded by CHANEL, is in its second iteration, and third year. It covers contribution to the course tuition fees, course costs and living expenses. Amanda Harlech will provide mentoring support to Joshua for the duration of his scholarship.
DIOR MEN MA Scholarship
Annabel Ballance, Royal College of Art and Stanley Bryan, Central Saint Martins are this year’s recipients. The MA Scholarship, funded by DIOR, is in its second iteration, and third year. It covers contribution to the course tuition fees, course costs and living expenses. Scholars are additionally provided with a direct point of contact from the Dior Men’s design team, to provide advice and mentoring support for the duration of their scholarship.
Returning MA Scholarship
The four returning MA scholars are Chalukya Samarawickrama, MA Final Year, Central Saint Martins and Ifeanyi Okwuadi, Jacob Yakubu Stapleton and Latifa Neyazi all MA, Central Saint Martins.
BA Scholarship
Aleksandra Dulic Mezak, Manchester Fashion Institute (MMU) and Ayham Musleh, Luke Hemingway, Manon Wilson, Roy Carmona, Sabreen Hassan, all Central Saint Martins, are this year’s recipients. The BA Scholarship is open to students commencing their degree or part way through, who have a confirmed place on a BA Fashion Design course. The scholarship helps towards course tuition fees with a contribution to course costs or living expenses. The four current BA scholars are Alonso Gaytan, Central Saint Martins, Anne Heffren, Manchester Fashion Institute (MMU), James Rowland, University of Westminster and Jeongmin Ji, Central Saint Martins.
BA Final Year Scholarship
Alba Mas, Central Saint Martins, Arielle Uno-Ekwang, University of Brighton, Demetris Hadjimichail, Central Saint Martins, Hannah Garner, Central Saint Martins, Ilona Mandyradzhy, Birmingham City University, Malika Augustus, London College of Fashion, Serena Addington, University for the Creative Arts, Rochester and Tj Finley, Central Saint Martins are this year’s recipients. The BA Final Year Scholarship is open to students in their final year of a BA Fashion Design course. The funding aims to cover costs for students’ final collections.
For 2022/2023 the BFC Foundation (Registered Charity Number: 1185152) made £248,000 available to its thirty-one MA and BA scholars. The BFC Foundation brings all the BFC charitable initiatives under one umbrella; supporting the future growth and success of the British fashion industry by focusing on three areas: Education, Grant-Giving and Business Mentoring. The BFC has been awarding students MA scholarships since 1998.
Sarah Mower (panellist) “To serve on the BFC committee and to see the talents and hear the predicaments of candidates for the BFC Scholarship fund is – for all of us – a reverse education in what matters to this generation. We felt impressed, honoured and humbled by them. They have everything to teach the industry, and where it will be in 5 or 10 years. If the industry wants to be part of that, then the only way is to provide more funding. And listen.”
Amanda Harlech (panellist), Creative Consultant & Writer, said: “If the fashion industry is to survive and not just repeat itself, the new generations of design students are the lifeblood and the hope. All the candidates that came before the judging panel were compelling, intensely thoughtful with brilliant research and a thorough embrace of community, sustainability, social concern woven into collections of mind-altering newness.”
Grace Wales Bonner (panellist), Founder & Artistic Director, Wales Bonner, said: “It is amazing to see the level of talent this year and to see how creativity in London is flourishing. The recipients of this year’s scholarships are incredibly well deserved.”
Yinka IIlori (panellist), Multidisciplinary Artist, said: “The creative sector continues to face immense challenges and it’s more important than ever before that young talent from all backgrounds are able to access creative education. This year’s recipients have fresh voices and innovative ideas and I look forward to seeing how they continue to grow and develop their work.”
Applications were open from 14th June to 11th July 2022 and were assessed on the basis of talent and financial need, using information provided in the application form, the portfolio, the applicant’s financial circumstances and references . The panels were chaired by Sarah Mower MBE, Chief Critic, Vogue Runway, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent and were made up of: Alexander Fury, Fashion Features Director of AnOther, Men’s Critic of the Financial Times; Amanda Harlech, Creative Consultant & Writer; Amanda Johnston, Curator and Educational Lead, The Sustainable Angle; Caroline Issa, Chief Executive and Fashion Director, Tank Magazine; Claire Bergkamp, Chief Operating Officer, Textiles Exchange; Donna Wallace, Fashion & Accessories Editor, British Vogue; Edward Crutchley, Designer; Grace Wales Bonner, Founder & Artistic Director, Wales Bonner; Heather Gramston, Head of Womenswear, Browns Fashion; Ida Petersson, Buying Director, Browns Fashion; Jeanie Annan-Lewin, Creative Director, The Perfect Magazine; Karen Binns, Editor & Publisher; Kate Brindley, Communications Consultant; Matty Bovan, Designer and Founder, Matty Bovan; Stavros Karelis, Founder & Buying Director, MACHINE-A; Tamsin Blanchard, Fashion Journalist, Editor and Author; Wilson Oryema, Artist, Writer, Sustainability Advocate & Co-Founder, Regenerative Futures and Yinka IIlori, Multidisciplinary Artist.