Cristobal Balenciaga retired from fashion with the immortal refrain 'it was a dog's life.' Forty years later, the business of being a young - or not-so-young - fashion upstart is still by no means easy, regardless of talent. Now in it's (slightly staggering) 14th season, the British Fashion Council's NewGen scheme offers many a fledgling designer the support they need to fly solo. With Cum Laude alumni including weighty luminaries like Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan and more recent recipients Christopher Kane and Marios Schwab, NewGen counters an oft-bemoaned surfeit of talent and lack of cash in British Fashion, providing valuable sponsorship and in turn helping to maintain London's reputation of consistent creativity.

Each season, catwalk sponsorship goes to five - for Spring, the recipients are Louise Goldin, Danielle Scutt, MeadhamKirchhoff, House of Holland and Peter Pilotto. Amongst those receiving exhibition support, it was great to see two 2008 MA graduates - Mary Katrantzou and Simone Shailes - whose arresting collections caught our ever-roving eyes back in London Fashion Week. Elsewhere, accessory designer Nasir Mazhar (another early SHOWstudio spot ) will be holding an as-yet-unidentified magical mystery millinery 'happening' at Dover Street Market. Watch this space...