LONDON — Farfetch.com, an online marketplace for independent designer boutiques worldwide, has inked a sponsorship deal with the British Fashion Council to support its London Show Rooms initiative.
Farfetch and the BFC will cohost events worldwide aimed at promoting young and emerging British designers. The former will also open up its network of boutiques to those taking part in London Show Rooms.
It is the first global sponsorship deal for both partners.
London Show Rooms is a traveling showcase aimed at promoting young, British talent through pop-up showrooms. It was launched in Paris in 2008. This year, 59 designers showcased their collections in eight showrooms in Paris, Los Angeles, New York and Hong Kong.
“The DNA of Farfetch and the BFC is very compatible: We are both about promoting diversity and supporting an industry based on creativity,” José Neves, the founder and chief executive officer of the site, told WWD.
RELATED STORY: BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund Short List Announced >>
“The stores we feature have always been about discovering new talent, the superstars of tomorrow. They are the ones taking the first risks on fresh talent,” he added.
Neves said the partnership deal is for one year, with the intention to renew. Farfetch will cohost a series of events with the British Fashion Council, and involve some of the 250 boutiques that appear on the site.
He added that Farfetch would also organize other events that will run alongside those it is planning with the BFC.
Caroline Rush, ceo of the BFC, said: “This association will enable London Show Rooms to further expand and develop into new markets, enabling us to continue to promote and support British designers internationally.”