The fashion pack are raising a toast to rising star Simone Rocha this week; luxury drinks brand Cointreau and ELLE UK, the world’s biggest-selling fashion magazine, have announced Simone will be the first recipient of their phenomenal £100,000 bursary. The two brands have partnered to launch this ground-breaking bursary in order to support London’s emerging designers.
Recent CSM MA Fashion graduate Simone Rocha has racked up six stellar collections since graduation, each met with critical acclaim. Simone’s selection as the first recipient of the Elle Cointreau bursary was announced exclusively in the April issue of Elle UK. The designer will receive multi-platform exposure across ELLE’s website, magazine and social media networks as well as taking the reins as Cointreau’s creative director for the year, where she will design the Cointreau Privé pop-up bar for September’s London Fashion Week.
Stocked by some of the world’s most influential stores, including Colette in Paris, 10 Corso Como in Milan, Jeffrey in New York, and Browns and Dover Street Market in London, Simone’s pieces have dressed celebrities from Alexa Chung to Chloe Moretz. ELLE was the first magazine to put Simone’s designs on a cover when one of her pieces was worn by Lady Gaga. British Vogue has described Simone’s aesthetic as: “an appealing mix of spunky youth and a certain refinement.”
Speaking after the award was announced, Simone enthused:”I am so grateful to be awarded the ELLE Cointreau bursary. It is such an exciting time and their support can only help me build my label. ELLE has supported me from the beginning of my label and I am delighted to be the first recipient of this bursary.”
ELLE’s Editor-In-Chief, Lorraine Candy, commented: “This is a groundbreaking award that will help Simone, one of our freshest new designers, to expand her business and meet the ever-growing demands of her fans. ELLE has a proud history of championing young talent and now we can help them grow financially too. The UK fashion industry is worth £21billion to the British economy, so awards like this for home grown talents are more important than ever. We are proud to have supported Simone from the very beginning and to have been the first magazine to put her work on a cover, more than a year ago, when her design was worn by Lady Gaga.”
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