The Fund, established by the British Fashion Council in 2008, provides one designer each year with a customized, intensive mentoring program over a twelve-month period. Not to mention a £200,000 grant, designed to provide necessary finances for enhancing the productivity of the business – from sourcing fabric to staging shows. Athens-born Katrantzou, now based in London, beat-out fellow finalists Emilia Wickstead, Holly Fulton, Mary Katrantzou, Michael van der Ham, Mother of Pearl, Osman and Sophia Webster for the 2015 prize. Following their announcement in February, the eight designers were invited to present their collections and five-year business plans to the Fund judging committee, which is made up of representatives from businesses who support the Fund and industry experts. "Mary Katrantzou is incredibly deserving of this year’s award,” said Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue and chair of the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund. “It was an extremely diverse shortlist but ultimately we all agreed that Mary has not only created a strong and hugely appealing identity for her work but that she has but in place measures that, along with the support of this prize, should ensure an exciting and successful next stage of her career." The Greek designer moved to the US at an early age and completed a BA in Architecture at the Rhode Island school of design, before transferring to Central Saint Martins in London to complete her BA degree in textile design. Graduating in 2005, Katrantzou shifted her direction from textile design to womenswear, with a focus on print – the latter she is now renowned for. Katrantzou has evolved her capabilities the past few seasons. Her trompe l’oeil prints have formed the guise of vintage perfume bottles, the interiors of old issues of architectural digest, and objects of art and postage stamps. AW14 saw her experiment with fabric construction, implementing embroidery against crafted Swiss lace and hand woven jacquards. 2015 continued her textile furore, where she focused on the concept of typography, with letters reinvented into glitter-flecked chiffon, woven jacquards and brocade and intricately worked into tulle laces. She then entered the sportsluxe arena, collaborating with Adidas for a Lyrca-print collection for women. “As anyone who has met [Mary] knows, she is a tireless worker, has an abundance of creativity and has grown from being one of London Fashion Week’s must-see emerging talents, to one of the world’s most talked about designers,” said Caroline Rush, Chief Executive, British Fashion Council.“It really is a pleasure working with Mary and we are thrilled that we are able to support her business at an exciting time of growth.”The Fund, now in its sixth year, is a legacy project from the BFC’s 25th anniversary celebrations. This year the BFC has also created an exclusive online video series, Designer Fashion Fund, which follows the application process and interviews with the judging panel. The episodes will be published over the course of 2015 and can be viewed at youtube.com/BritishFashionTV and Vogue.co.uk Previous winners of the Fund include Peter Pilotto (2014), Nicholas Kirkwood (2013), Jonathan Saunders (2012), Christopher Kane (2011) and Erdem (2010).Chaired by Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue, the Fund Judging Committee comprises representatives from those supporting the Fund, as well as industry professionals including Caroline Rush, Ian Lewis, Mary Homer, Joan Burstein, Naomi Campbell, Samantha Cameron, Sarah Manley and Susanne Tide-Frater. The Fund is sponsored by Burberry, Debenhams, Harrods, Paul Smith, Topshop and Vogue.