It is back, traditionally around Valentine's Day, London's celebration for fashion lovers: the British Fashion Week. Under the sponsoring wing of the Evening Standard for the second season in a row and covered by a veil of excitement for its new riverside venue, the Mecca of young talent is ready to turn the catwalk lights on.

Two weeks before the grand opening, the participating designers whose profession embodies glamour, do not feel all that glamorous. Their atelier is their home, their closest relationship is called 'collection' and the best time of the day is when another design becomes alive and ready to hit the runaway. 'British young talent', a cliché these days, never stopped reflecting the fresh fashion generator this land is. It manages to exclude though the aspects that put the F in fashion; and that is financial support.

Craven Gene A/W 06

While On Schedule designers are already established or have managed to receive generous sponsorships, most of the 40 plus up and coming British hopes have only made it to the Off Schedule shows and static exhibitions. That is where creativity is often limited by credit and success has an extra pinch of stress and struggle. Nishat Shattar and Roger Searle have been showing Off Schedule as Craven Gene since last May. "We had to be extremely organised to pull this through. We both work for other people to fund our collection and even though we received good response from the press it is very hard to get sponsors" explains Shattar.

The duo designs for professional women in their thirties, incorporating boho elements in their tailored creations for Autumn/Winter 2006. They visualise their collections featured in the windows of fashion temples like Harvey Nichols or Liberty but so far they only have one stockist, the Golden Kiosk at Sanderson.

Emma Gale

Speaking of disappearing, where is Alistair Carr this season? Danielle Scutt, another womenswear talent to look out in St. Martins show noticed his absence in sadness while contemplating her near future: "I cannot afford to do it. I would love to do my own thing but I am thinking of the fear and stress of going bankrupt. There is not enough support for British designers, and New Generation doesn't last for ever". Coming from the mouth of a lady who took the awards by storm during her MA year (Chloè, Lancôme) it is rather alarming. Last year at an interview with Colin McDowel, Boudicca had made a note of this very symbolic help towards British designers, stressing out from own experience that it stays limited to the first steps. This season, Boudicca is another big absence from London Fashion Week.

Before I catch you in tears, I must say that the New Generation project sponsored by Topshop is going strong. The Vice Chairman of the British Fashion Council commented that feedback from designers shows that financial support, encouragement and promotion they receive through the project is fundamental to helping them build their businesses so at least someone is happy and hopeful. Moreover, even though in some cases funding doesn't last more than a year, Jonathan Saunders, Bora Aksu, Ashish, Swash and La Petite Salope are already familiar names and still supported whereas part of the fourteen designers appointed to receive sponsorship this year are five newcomers to the project.

Boudicca inspired or not, we were particularly happy to see that Collin McDowel's Fashion Fringe winners Basso & Brooke are dynamically entering the British Fashion Council's schedule too, hopefully making the best of their £100,000 award. Quoting McDowel himself "Fashion Fringe aims to identify new talent in fashion design, then sustain it until it is strong enough to stand on its own feet". There might only be space for one, but it's a start.

This year's surprise though is definitely Fashion East, the Off Schedule favourite classic listed as On Schedule. Fashion East's voice, Lulu Kennedy, had once expressed that she has always thought teaming up with the British Fashion Council would be mutually beneficial but the other side seemed not interested. This season things have changed we can hopefully take this as one big step towards up and coming designers' projection and recognition. As for the Off Schedule, Clerkenwell Dress are claiming they are back to London to provide exhibition space and business support for designer-makers.

Feel this article has a bitter-sweet taste? Well that's the taste of young British fashion. Bitter-sweet, artistic, creative, maybe financially thirsty and a bit stressed but always a fighter and an explosive celebration of fresh design. London fashion week is almost here and hopes are once again high. Be open, get excited and enjoy it.

Danielle Scutt

Sarah Creaven