'Phenomenon' Nicholas Daley wins 2022 BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 13, 2022

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has named emerging star Nicholas Daley as the winner of the 2022 BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund. He’ll get a 12-month bespoke high-level business mentoring programme, pro-bono legal services from Sheridans and a £150,000 cash prize.

He joins a list of previous winners that includes Ahluwalia, A-Cold Wall, Craig Green, E Tautz and Christopher Shannon.

The menswear designer was described by Adam Baidawi, Head of Editorial Content of British GQ and GQ's Deputy Global Editorial Director, as a “phenomenon” with “a menswear vision that is totally his own”.

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He added that Daley has a “wild and dizzying design talent, [and] a gift for curation, pulling together a diverse collection of collaborators and influences to create a truly modern brand. We couldn’t be prouder to be honouring him”.

Daley said the funding and mentoring programme “will support me in continuing to grow my brand for the future”.

The BFC’s CEO Caroline Rush also spoke of his “continued emphasis on community, craftsmanship and culture and cementing a place at the centre of London society”. And she praised his “forward-thinking approach” that helps him “challenge the way fashion is deciphered through presentations, live performances, and films. He is a breath of fresh air and we are excited to see what the brand continues to achieve in the future”.

Other names on the shortlist this year were Clothsurgeon, LYPH and Olubiyi Thomas who also had the opportunity to participate in a mentoring programme through the BFC’s Designer Initiatives team, with access to funders, industry experts, and legal services. 

The judging committee included Rush and Baidawi, as well as Matchesfashion’s Head of Menswear Buying Damien Paul, Dunhill CEO Laurent Malecaze, sponsor Clearpay UK’s Market Development Director Laura Yeomans, and more.