The Awards were set up in 1993 to provide young designers, recently established in business, with a promotional platform for attracting media profile, orders and investment.

Previously sponsored by troubled Marks & Spencer, this year High Street retailer Topshop, part of the newly slim-line Arcadia Group, has taken over.

The sponsorship will enable the designers to show their autumn/winter collections at London Fashion Week next February, either on the catwalk, or at the Designers Exhibition, or both.

Anne Tyrrell, vice chairman of the British Fashion Council said, "We are very excited to have Topshop as sponsors of the New Generation. It is an ideal opportunity for them to further cement their support of young British design. I am delighted with the choice of designers, which reinforces our policy to support the best of British talent for as long a possible in order to nurture their growing businesses."

Catwalk sponsorship has been awarded again to Blaak, Hamish Morrow, Russell Sage and Sophia Kokosalaki, whose shows last season received wide-spread acclaim. Michelle Lowe-Holder, who took a break from the catwalk last season, and Georgian sisters Tamara and Natasha Surguladze of ' up-and-coming label Tata-Naka, who show for the first time on the official schedule, complete the catwalk winners.

The Designers Exhibition accompanying the shows will again include last year's exhibition award winners Alice Lee, Louis de Gama and Michelle Lowe-Holder. They will be joined by Russell Sage, Tata-Naka, knitwear designer Alex Gore Brown, Erika Trotzig who has worked previously worked for Hussein Chalayan and Josephus Thimister, and Future Classics© from designer Julie Wilkins. Accessories designers Buba, Jeremy & Biba and Shaun Leane have also received awards.

Exhibition award –winner Alex Gore Browne told FWD what a huge difference the award makes to her, “It’s not just an opportunity to show my collection to the English press and buyers, but to the international ones too. I’d never be able to exhibit otherwise, as it’s a huge financial commitment.”

She continued, ”I’m also really glad that it is Topshop sponsoring us all because I really admire what they are doing to promote British fashion –both on the High Street and at a designer level too. I’d also really love to design for TS Design!”

Topshop Brand Director, Jane Shepherdson commented, “It is very encouraging to see such a wealth of talent emerging this season and Topshop is proud to support the chosen six with this promotional platform. We already support Sophia Kokosalaki with her range for TS Design and look forward to building relationships with the other designers.”

London Fashion Week runs February 17-22, 2002.
The London Designers Exhibition runs from 17-20 February 2002