“It’s surreal, I didn’t expect this at all,” Patrick Grant beamed after E. Tautz was announced as the second ever winner of the BFC and GQ Menswear Fund at a prize ceremony at the Rosewood London hotel last night. “I stood here twice for the BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund and once last year, so I know how bad it feels to miss out but I want to congratulate the other nominees,” he explained, adding, “I really mean that because it was so tough this year. I am proud to follow in Christopher Shannon‘s footsteps.”
There was stiff competition for the 2015 prize, with Astrid Andersen, Christopher Raeburn, Matthew Miller and Sibling all shortlisted. GQ editor Dylan Jones said, “Patrick demonstrated precise craftsmanship and an inherent sense of commercial awareness,” with BFC Chief Exec Caroline Rush adding that, “We are delighted to be able to support a label with such a strong identity, precise business plan and noteworthy presence at London Collections: Men. I strongly believe that the prize will successfully help propelling E. Tautz onto the international fashion scene.”
When we spoke to Patrick on the eve of the announcement he explained that the application process “really forces you to think about who you are, who your customer is and what he really wants from you,” and that he would use the prize money to “iron out the wrinkles, [add] a couple more stores, a handful more great wholesale accounts and a few more great people in the team.”
Grant takes home £150,000 for the development of the E. Tautz brand, as well as a “bespoke, high level mentoring support programme” delivered over the next 12 months. The designer seemed genuinely shocked and ecstatic to have won, and when i-D asked what he was going to do next, he said, “Call my Mum!”