BFC Foundation names 2023/24 scholarship recipients

The British Fashion Council has named the recipients of its 2023/24 BFC Foundation BA and MA Scholarships that provide funding to those who have an offer from, or are currently studying for, an MA or BA at a BFC Colleges Council member university.

Ten new students are being awarded a variety of MA scholarships this year, joining one current MA recipient. And 10 new BA students join the line-up too, alongside the five returning BA recipients. Somme of the scholarships are linked to specific brands and come with valuable mentoring opportunities from those labels.

The BFC sees the students, whose eligibility is assessed based on talent and need, as a key part of its future-focused support of the UK and wider global fashion sector.

This year’s MA Scholarship Recipients are Central Saint Martins’ students Benjamin Savizon and Frankie Staples, while the MA Final Year Scholarship Recipients are Ellis Routledge, Gracey Owusu-Agyemang, Jonathan Ferris and Zachary Anderson from Central Saint Martins, and Jamie Backshall from University of Westminster. 

The Chanel MA Scholarship Recipient is Nusra Nijimbere of the Royal College of Art. And the Chanel MA scholar returning is Joshua Ewusie of Central Saint Martins. Amanda Harlech will continue to provide mentoring support to both recipients for the duration of their scholarship.

The Dior Men Scholarship Recipient is Zeshaan Iqbal of the University of Westminster. 

The Joe Casely-Hayford MA Scholarship Recipient has already been announced with Taya Francis of  Nottingham Trent University the first-ever recipient. 

Meanwhile, the BA Scholarship Recipients are Aaron Adkins of  Manchester Fashion Institute; Aliyah Dankwah at University of Westminster; and Luke Saul and Zahra Al-Najjar from Central Saint Martins. 

The BA scholars returning this year are Aleksandra Dulic Mezak from Manchester Fashion Institute; James Rowland of University of Westminster; and Jeongmin Ji and Roy Carmona from Central Saint Martins. 

The BA Final Year Scholarship Recipients are Alexander Mills and Malika Deanne-Augustus from London College of Fashion; Hanna Pachuta of the University of East London; and Andrew Kent, Sabreen Hassan, Stella Satie and Yodea Marquel Williams-Braham from Central Saint Martins. 

For the year, the BFC Foundation has made £250,000 available to its twenty-six MA and BA scholars.

The BFC’s Chief Executive Caroline Rush said: “Strengthening and future proofing the pipeline of fashion talent is core to the work of the BFC and now more than ever, it is critical to support BA and MA students at such a fundamental time in their technical and creative development.”

Meanwhile, panel Chair Sarah Mower, who’s also BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent, said: “The BFC scholarship scheme, and the programme which is built into it, is a crucial means of combatting the barriers to opportunities represented by rising fees, living expenses and costs in UK fashion education. Every year, we are impressed and humbled by the variety and depth of the stories and social purpose students are expressing.

“With the right financial support, their ideas and solutions will positively shape the future of the fashion industry at large — not just in the UK, but globally. That’s why we are incredibly grateful to Dior and Chanel, in supporting named BFC scholarships. I’d like to urge more companies to come forward to see and enjoy from engaging with this scheme — the value of it is always as much in what young people can teach us, as the other way around.”