>> BFC, Vogue UK Start Fashion Fund —Two weeks before this year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners are announced in New York, London has decided to get in on the fun.  The British Fashion Council and British Vogue have teamed up for the new BFC Vogue Design Fashion Fund, which will provide one British-based designer with £200,000 (approx. $328,000) and a year's worth of mentoring support, much like its American counterpart. The inaugural winner and finalists will be announced next April, with Alexandra Shulman chairing the judging panel. [WWD, Telegraph UK]

>> After almost being edged out by New York and Milan Fashion Weeks last season, the British Fashion Council has launched a major push to bring London Fashion Week back on solid ground.  Already, in conjunction with the event's 25th anniversary, Burberry, Matthew Williamson, Pringle of Scotland, Jonathan Saunders, Clements Ribeiro, and Jasmine de Milo — with Amanda Wakeley and Jeremy Scott, who's never shown in London, as the latest converts — have pledged to show in London for the Spring 2010 season in September. 

Now, the British Fashion Council has announced it hired Kelly Cutrone's US-based PR company, People's Revolution, to promote London Fashion Week and British designers stateside. The goal is to drive buyer and editor traffic, according to BFC joint chief executive Caroline Rush: “The appointment of People’s Revolution aims to increase awareness and exposure of British designers amongst US media and buyers with the goal of supporting the growth of designer businesses and increasing the attendance of these audiences at London Fashion Week.”

And there's always the added advantage of TV visibility — cameras for Kelly's upcoming Bravo show, Kell on Earth, will be shooting all through London Fashion Week. 

>> Tonight, The British Fashion Council hosted the British Fashion Awards — the British counterpart to the CFDA Awards.  Jourdan Dunn stole Agyness Deyn's Model of the Year crown, and looking shocked, managed to accept the award between tears: "My mum would like me to say I'm going to buy her a mansion but she's just going to have to accept this speech instead!"  As for Designer of the Year — an honor bestowed on John Galliano and Alexander McQueen four times each — Luella Bartley was the anointed one.

A complete list of awards, with winners in bold. »

>> This is a snub, if I ever heard of one.  For the Fall 2009 season, the CFDA has announced that New York Fashion Week will run from February 13-20, rather than February 6-13, as it has in the past.  The reason for the switch?  The designers don't want to have to show on Labor Day, September 1, for the Spring 2010 season, and they want the reorganizing to start ASAP. 

But herein lies the problem: With the February date change, New York Fashion Week will still be going on when London Fashion Week was scheduled to take place.  The British Fashion Council's chairman, Harold Tillman, flew to New York last week to talk with CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg about the issue, but as it lays right now, London Fashion Week only has four full days to show — February 21-24 — before Milan Fashion Week starts, not to mention little-to-no travel time for editors, buyers, and the like to be transported between the places.  Drama, drama.
*images: source