LONDON, Mar 31, 2010 / FW/ — Montreal-born designer Erdem Moralioglu has is the inaugural BFC / Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner, the British Fashion Council (BFC) announced today.
The Award which is comprised of £200,000 and access to director level mentors across the industry has been established as a key part of the BFC’s 25th anniversary legacy programme to further enhance the reputation of London’s rising stars and assist in the development of their businesses.
Commenting on his winning this prestigious prize, Erdem Moralioglu said “I am thrilled to be the winner of the BFC Vogue Fashion Fund. It is an honor. The prize will help us to take our business to the next level. It is so integral for us to be showing in London and the support of the BFC and Vogue will allow us to grow our business internationally. It is such exciting time for us.”
Even before winning the BFC / Vogue Fashion Fund, Erdem, the eponymous London ready-to-wear line established in 2005 by Erdem Moralioglu, has won plaudits for its gracefully modern clothing. Fusing sharp, forward tailoring and graphic custom designed silk prints in a uniquely romantic approach has been the signature of the brand’s aesthetic.
The designer Erdem Moralioglu was raised in Montreal, Canada by his Turkish father and English mother, and studied fashion in both Canada and England. Having received his master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in 2003, Erdem worked for Diane von Furstenberg in New York.
After moving back to London, Erdem worked towards covering the void of femininity among the London fashion talent and launched his own label Erdem has been able to experiment with the best in quality fabrics, while staying true to his whimsical form and use of bold colour. The brand also brings about a playful use of embellishment in its creations, using embroidery in a youthful manner.
Erdem won in 2007 the Swarovski British Fashion Council Fashion Enterprise Award, as well as the BFC’s Fashion Forward award in 2008. In 2009, Elle Magazine awarded Erdem the “Fashion Future Award” at the Elle Style awards in London.
Erdem was also nominated for the prestigious Swiss Textile Award and The British Fashion Council’s 2009, “Collection of the Year Award”.
Erdem is now sold globally in more than 50 premiere department and specialty stores, such as Barney’s New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Harvey Nichols, Dover St. Market, Colette, Browns, Ikram, Beams, Theresa, Banner, Luisa via Roma and net-a-porter.com.
For winning the BFC / Vogue Fashion Fund the BFC will develop a bespoke mentoring programme tailored specifically to assist Erdem Moralioglu in achieving his business goals for the next twelve months with the aspiration that the network developed during this year will endure throughout his career as he makes the transition from a developing creative business into a global fashion brand.
