LONDON — What could be more British than Jonathan Anderson, Charlotte Tilbury and Martine Rose winning awards at the Royal Albert Hall on a rainy winter’s evening?
The weather in the UK on Monday provided a fitting backdrop for the Fashion Awards, a night aimed at celebrating the country’s and international talent.
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Among the latter was Valentino Garavani, who won the Outstanding Achievement Award. His long-time friend and business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, received the award from Gwyneth Paltrow, who was in London for the event.
The event was a mix of high and low culture, with the evening hosted by Maya Jama, famous as the host of ITV2 show “Love Island”, and singer-songwriter KJ Radical. The guest list included Jodie Comer, Taylor Russell, Andrew Garfield, Marina Abramović and Amal Clooney.
There was also great fun missing from the scene last year.
Josh O’Connor presented Anderson with the night’s top honor, Designer of the Year.
“Watching this evening, I saw my life before my eyes,” the designer said as he accepted his award for his work on JW Anderson and Loewe, which are owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
O’Connor, the face of the brand’s Spring 2024 pre-collection campaign, was wearing a black custom suit from Loewe.
Sarah Burton, who left her position at Alexander McQueen, where she spent her entire career, in September, was given the Special Recognition Award by Edward Enninful, former editor-in-chief of British Vogue.
“McQueen for me has always been about emotion. Wearing one of his own designs with Levi’s jeans, Burton said emotionally, “Most people say you can never forget how people make you feel.”
British Ghanaian actress and writer Michaela Coel is the recipient of the Pandora Change Leader Award, presented by Pandora ambassador Pamela Anderson; She walked the red carpet in an all-white tailored trouser and jacket set and no makeup.
Coel, whose stylist was Georgia Medley, wore a custom white strappy crop top and long skirt by Maximilian Davis for Ferragamo.
“The system may have failed me, but maybe it could have succeeded for someone else somewhere else. “I want to thank my audience, because with your openness to allow my work to change you, you gave meaning to my pain,” the actress and screenwriter said in a powerful speech touching on her experience with sexual assault. ‘I May Destroy You’ depicted in the TV series he wrote and starred in.
Sam Smith accepted the Cultural Innovator Award presented on stage by actress and author Lena Dunham. They also gave a special performance accompanied by the choir.
The non-binary artist showed up in an unforgettable red carpet outfit: a sheer, voluminous black dress designed by Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood that made as much noise as the dramatic Latex suit designed by Harri that Smith wore to the Brit Awards earlier this year. year.
“I remember two years ago telling my family and friends that it was my dream to one day stand up on the Royal Albert Hall stage in a dress and sing my heart out,” the pop star said.
“There is no other outfit in the world that suits freedom better,” they added.
91-year-old Valentino Garavani was deemed worthy of the award for his “groundbreaking couture creations” and red carpet dresses. Giammetti was given the award by his old friend Paltrow.
Referring to Valentino, she said: “He would always ask me about Hollywood, especially the men I dated; My husband never really approved of anyone until he met Brad Falchuk. And he hated that I didn’t like wearing red. That’s why I’ll wear red tonight for Mr. Valentino.”
Accepting the award on behalf of Valentino, Giammetti pledged to donate £200,000 to British fashion students.
“I know exactly what it means to start a business. “It’s a very difficult and very stressful situation for everyone around you,” he said before a short fashion show featuring Valentino’s most famous designs in the designer’s signature red.
Tilbury, from London, took to the stage in a sparkling black dress with her signature strawberry hair to receive the Special Recognition Award from Clooney, who wore a strapless sequined Atelier Versace gown.
“I arranged for her to try on my wedding make-up and was horrified when she showed up at my front door with five huge suitcases full of products,” the international human rights lawyer said.
In his speech, Tilbury thanked Kate Moss, Tom Ford, Mert and Marcus, Katie Grand, Mario Testino, Mary Greenwell and the late Hugh Devlin, the go-to lawyer for members of the British fashion industry who died in October.
“Makeup has the power to transform our energy, give us the confidence to live a life without limits and pursue our biggest, boldest dreams,” the makeup artist said.
BFC chief executive Caroline Rush has previously said what makes this year’s nominees so special is that they are “a true representation of British creative energy and its impact on the fashion industry globally”.
“We invited key press and buyers with in-depth industry knowledge to determine the shortlist of nominees, and the list of names selected demonstrates the richness and breadth of design talent currently coming from the UK,” he added.
This year’s awards ceremony introduced two categories: New Establishment Menswear and New Establishment Womenswear, which aim to highlight up-and-coming talent.
Bianca Saunders accepted the New Establishment Menswear award and thanked her colleagues and family.
“I remember being 19 and buying tickets to see all these amazing designers being celebrated,” she said.
Meanwhile, Chopova Lowena was awarded the New Establishment Womenswear award.
Another young British winner of the night was Davis, who won the British Womenswear Designer of the Year award for her work at Ferragamo, where she has been working since March last year.
“I would like to thank my CEO, Marco Gobbetti, for trusting me with such a big brand,” said the young designer.
In the men’s category, Martine Rose received the British Menswear Designer of the Year award for her own brand. The award was presented to him by rapper and singer Little Simz.
The Model of the Year winner was Paloma Elsesser, who walked for Balenciaga, Michael Kors and Chloé last year.
Photographer, director and broadcaster Campbell Addy received the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator. The presentation was made by Ib Kamara and Jourdan Dunn, who looked like Nefertiti in a black velvet dress with an Egyptian-style headdress.
“Please have the courage to change ideas and create new worlds that push boundaries so that the dialogue can move forward for future generations to thrive and also learn from,” Addy said.
The Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creators aims to reward innovators and creators in fashion who are helping to change the fashion landscape. Previous winners include Ib Kamara, Katie Grand, Amanda Harlech, Mert and Marcus, Nick Knight, Pat McGrath, Louise Wilson and Sam McKnight.
Enninful, who will begin her role as Vogue’s global creative and cultural advisor next year, took home the Trailblazer Award, presented to her by Comer and Croydon-born artist Stormzy.
“You’re probably tired of seeing me here,” Enninful said.
He added: “We were seeing huge changes in Britain at the time [he took his helm]. It felt like the stars aligned to bring this to the pages of British Vogue.
Enninful thanked Dame Judi Dench, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Olivia Colman and the Newhouse family.
Conner Ives received the BFC Foundation Award, a charity that supports education, grantmaking and business mentoring. The BFC said it had allocated more than £1.2 million to designers and academics in the 2022-23 financial year.
BFC has honored the late designer Joe Casely-Hayford with a new scholarship and a special posthumous recognition from the designer’s son Charlie.
The 2023-24 BFC Foundation Joe Casely-Hayford MA scholarship funds students from Black or mixed backgrounds. They must have an offer from a BFC member university in the UK or be studying for a master’s degree. This year’s winner is Taya Francis.
The aim of the scholarship is to highlight Casely-Hayford’s contribution to the industry and recognize Black British culture and its impact on wider British culture.
Launch Gallery: Fashion Awards 2023 Red Carpet Arrivals: All Looks and Live Updates
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