The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced its partnership with JD.com and Ruyi for two years, as the two leading Chinese companies provide sponsorship to the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund. 

At a lunch hosted by BFC Ambassadorial President David Beckham at The Middle House Shanghai, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Dylan Jones, BFC Chair of Menswear and Editor of British GQ, Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive, Xia Ding, President of JD Fashion at JD.com and Francis Srun, Executive President of Ruyi International Group that confirms funding, mentorship and additional opportunities to develop partnerships for the shortlisted designers into China.

Dylan Jones comments, 'We are delighted to re-instate the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund thanks to JD.com Inc. and Ruyi who have committed to two years of support for our brilliant emerging menswear designers. It is also fantastic to have the support of such a great ambassador in David Beckham who has already become a huge force within the BFC. The last British designer to win the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund was Craig Green, a talent and business that has gone from strength to strength.'

David Beckham comments, 'Promoting the British Fashion industry in China is an important part of my new role with The British Fashion Council. It is great to be able to celebrate this new funding for emerging British menswear talent today. The menswear category is so energised at the moment and I can’t wait to see and meet the talent that will be involved – it’s very exciting.'

The BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund is the UK’s biggest menswear prize for emerging talent. The prize was established in September 2013 following the success of the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund providing one designer with a £150,000 grant to provide necessary infrastructure to take them to the next stage of their business and significant value in-kind services as part of a bespoke, high level mentoring support programme over a twelve-month period. 

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