Christopher Bailey along with Victoria Beckham are patrons of Graduate Fashion Week

Christopher Bailey of Burberry, and celebrity designer Victoria Beckham have been named as patrons of the UK charity - Graduate Fashion Week - for it’s 25th anniversary year.  The announcement, made by chairman Mark Newton Jones at the launch of the anniversary celebrations, was received by esteemed industry guests at the Houses of Parliament last Thursday alongside a catwalk presentation showcasing the best of Graduate Fashion Week 2015’s graduates. 

Bailey was the first winner of what is now established as the prestigious Graduate Fashion Week Gold Award in 1991. During his speech, he stressed the importance of supporting our future talent, adding, "I was extremely fortunate to have won the first Graduate Fashion Award over 20 years ago. It became a fundamental stepping-stone in my career, giving me a platform that allowed me to pursue the incredible opportunities that I have experienced since.  It is a true honour for me to be able to support the next generation of exciting design talent in the UK, during Graduate Fashion Week’s very special 25th anniversary year."

 On joining the charity as a patron, Victoria Beckham adds: "It is so important to support and mentor young people, and GFW provides an essential platform for them at this important time in their life. I'm delighted to be joining Christopher Bailey working together on such a worthwhile project." 

The event, held in association with Barracuda Search and the UKFT brought together CEOs and HR directors of some of the world’s leading retailers and industry members to launch Graduate Fashion Week’s 25th Anniversary year celebrating past and future graduates of the world's leading event celebrating the creativity of students and graduates within fashion.