Last night, the London coliseum was host to the The British Fashion Awards 2015. The awards take place annually, and sees the collection of the most influential people in the fashion industry, to celebrate those that have achieved significantly over the course of the year.
It is no surprise that Stella McCartney won brand of the year, as her ethical stance on several issues, including gender equality and the recognition of female rights demonstrated in the launch of the Louise listening bra, for women that have undergone a double-mastectomy, has meant she has experienced great success and achievement this year. The launch of the Green Carpet Collection in September, an environmentally friendly collection created from ‘sustainably recycled’ materials, also contributed to the brand’s image as ethically conscious. She took to instagram to express her gratitude, “so chuffed to receive brand of the year at the British Fashion Awards! Thank you so much to my amazing team…x”. Her consistent support for the white ribbon campaign, a campaign against violence towards women around the world, has also cemented Stella as not only a designer of charming clothes, but as the creator of a socially, ethically and morally aware brand.
The Model of the Year Award went to Jourdan Dunn (pictured below with Oliver Rousteing) for the second time; she was awarded the honour in 2008, and now joins Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss as two time winners. Dunn has had a very successful year, having appeared on the front cover of British Vogue in February, and was one of the primary faces in the H&M x Balmain campaign alongside Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid.
Karl Lagerfeld was presented the lifetime achievement award by Anna Wintour OBE, for his contributions to the industry, through his work at the head of Chanel but also Fendi, Chloe and Jean Patou.
Emerging Designer was given to Thomas Tait, a 26 year old Canadian that has been creating excitement for a little while now, winning several awards after his 2011 spring/summer show at London Fashion Week. It must be incredible to have won this award at such a young age- here’s to hoping that Tait can continue to create the collections that have gotten the fashion industry interested.
JW Anderson won both the Womenswear and the Menswear award, an incredible feat, of which he is deserving, considering that his pieces often explore the binary relationship between male and female dressing, and his first collections were released in 2008 and 2010 respectively. Anderson has previously created a capsule collection with Topshop and won The Emerging Talent Award at the BFA’s in 2012, so it’s unsurprising that he left with an honour last night. To leave with two however is not only the first time ever this has happened, but it is an indication that his work has established itself among the fashion houses that have existed for far longer.
The Establishment Award went to Erdem London, the designer ready-to-wear brand, created by Erdem Moralioglu. Erdem is known for bold prints delicately used, and has a talent for developing pieces that use the female silhouette beautifully. His clothes are available in several retailers, including his primary store near Hyde Park, London.
Grace Wales Bonner, the menswear designer, was honoured with the Best Newcomer Award following her exhibition of her collections to date, in the V&A this April. Her work explores notions of cultural difference and influence, as she creates luxurious pieces with recognition of both European and African ideas of luxury fashion. Wales Bonner definitely appears as someone to be taking notice of. The Accessory Designer Award went to Charlotte Olympia, the British Style Innovator went to FKA Twigs and the British Style- Red Carpet Ambassador Award went to Gwendoline Christie. Burberry won the Creative Campaign Award and International Designer went to Alessandro Michele of Gucci. Lastly, the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator was given to Nick Knight who has received a very positive reaction and reputation for his fashion film work, which is available to explore here- http://showstudio.com/.
All the winners are deserving of congratulations, especially those emerging into the industry and those establishing themselves as significant figures in fashion for the future.
By Annabel Waterhouse-Biggins
