Patrick Grant takes home the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund

However, as last year's winner Christopher Shannon will tell you, the Vertu-sponsored award is not just a prestigious seal of approval from the fashion idustry, it's also a £150,000 grant (coupled with a year-long mentoring scheme worth around £50,000) that is designed to boost any budding British brand to the next level.
Selected by a panel of judges including Vertu CEO Max Pogliani, British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush and GQ Editor Dylan Jones, the Savile Row-trained tailor beat off stiff competition from the four other homegrown designer brands: Astrid Andersen, Christopher Raeburn, Matthew Miller and Sibling, made up of designer collective Sid Bryan, Joe Bates and Cozette McCreery.
Having been in the running last year for the first-ever BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund, Grant was shocked as he went to collect his award, surrounded by the biggest names in the fashion industry at the Rosewood Hotel's Scarfes Bar.
"It's surreal, I didn't expect this at all," Grant said upon the announcement, "I stood here twice for the BFC/Vogue [Fashion] Fund and once last year, so I know how bad it feels to miss out. But I want to say congratulations to all the other nominees. I am so proud to follow in Chris Shannon's footsteps."
"This year the level of talent and business acumen presented by the shortlisted designers was exceptionally high, making the competition both tough and intensely exciting," said Jones on the win. "Patrick demonstrated unique flair, precise craftsmanship and an inherent sense of commercial awareness, which combined with the financial and mentoring support will elevate the business placing it at the forefront of the global menswear stage."
"The opportunity to mentor such a talented group of young British designers is both inspiring and a privilege and the Vertu team of mentors was impressed with the creativity and commercial ambition demonstrated by all of the designers," said Pogliani of Grant's win. "Patrick, however, stood out not only for his immense talent, but for his appetite to build the business and openness to new commercial approaches. We now look forward to mentoring E Tautz further as it extends the business into new markets."
Adding to the good news, Pogliani also announced that Vertu would be sponsoring one, if not two more years of the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund. We're looking forward to this time next year already.