Labrum London wins Queen Elizabeth Award, BFC names Fashion Trust recipients

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
May 18, 2023

Fresh from naming 16Arlington as the BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund winner this week, the British Fashion Council has now revealed the winner of this year’s Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. Step forward Labrum London.

King Charles presented the award to founder and creative director Foday Dumbuya during an event in London on Thursday that also celebrated the impact of the BFC Foundation, bringing together its annual programme of talent support initiatives.

The Queen Elizabeth II Award was initiated “in recognition of the role the fashion industry plays in society and diplomacy and to spotlight talented young designers who make a difference to society through either sustainable practices or community engagement”.

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The latest winning label was founded by creative director Foday Dumbuya in 2015 and is known for its representation of West African culture "through a modern lens". 

BFC chief executive Caroline Rush said of the label and designer: “Foday’s designs beautifully bridge the story of his West African heritage with his life in London and the history of British tailoring. His work speaks to what is so unique and compelling about the UK as a leader in creative and fashion talent. 

“At the BFC, we recognise our responsibility to support these incredible British emerging designers as they develop into self-sustaining businesses and are honoured and proud to continue to do so, particularly in the current economic climate as funding for the arts diminishes.”

Dumbuya follows an impressive series of designers who have won the prize, with Richard Quinn walking away with the first one in 2018 followed by Bethany Williams in 2019, Rosh Mahtani in 2020, Priya Ahluwalia in 2022 and Saul Nash last year.

GRANT RECIPIENTS

Meanwhile, on Thursday the body also shared details of some of the recipients of the £1.1 million that’s being paid by the BFC Foundation as part of its grant giving initiatives.

Its Fashion Trust grant recipients for 2023, chosen by a judging panel, are Chopova Lowena, Fruity Booty, Molly Goddard, Neous, Piferi and Richard Malone.

Since its inception in 2011, the BFC Fashion Trust has awarded over £2.7 million to 53 designer businesses to promote business growth and fund the implementation of practical solutions.

Previous beneficiaries of this include Christopher Kane, David Koma, Emilia Wickstead, Erdem, Mary Katrantzou, Osman, Rejina Pyo, Roksanda, Sophia Webster, and Wales Bonner. 

And the BFC also said that the Designer Fashion Fund Shortlist it has produced in association with GQ for 2023 includes AGR, Bianca Saunders, Bleue Burnham, Paria Farzaneh and Wales Bonner. The winner will be announced during London Fashion Week in June.