Mary Katrantzou Makes NEWGEN History

MARY KATRANTZOU is the first designer to join the British Fashion Council's NEWGEN committee. Today, she meets with the board to decide which talents will receive the initiative's autumn/winter 2014 sponsorship - an accolade she has benefitted from since 2009.

"I'm thrilled that Mary Katrantzou has agreed to join our NEWGEN selection panel, as she's really our ideal poster-girl for how much an original talent can achieve through the scheme," said Sarah Mower, BFC ambassador for emerging talent and chair of the NEWGEN selection committee. "Mary started out selling just a handful of printed shift dresses with NEWGEN at the first London Showroom in Paris in 2009 - now she exports all over the world. She will add the invaluable perspective of someone who knows exactly what it's like, and what it takes, to be a young entrepreneurial designer."

Katrantzou - who yesterday launched her first e-commerce site - will join fellow committee members, from Vogue contributing fashion editor Kate Phelan to BFC CEO Caroline Rush, to form mentoring groups, one-on-one workshops and focused seminars. Other names to have graduated through the NEWGEN process include Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders and Roksanda Ilincic.

"I could not have managed to get where I am today without the support of the BFC and the NEWGEN scheme," said Katrantzou. "They gave me the opportunity to pick up prestigious stockists such as Joyce and Colette from my first season. NEWGEN is an unparalleled scheme and it is an honour to be included on the panel."