Designers, models, actors, journalists and other industry insiders gathered at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Monday night for the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Awards, hosted by television presenter Maya Jama and artist Kojey Radical.
Jonathan Anderson, creative director of LVMH-owned Loewe and founder of namesake label JW Anderson, won designer of the year for the second year in a row. Simone Rocha won the British womenswear award, while Grace Wales Bonner took home the British menswear award.
Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena scored the BFC Foundation Award, given annually to a top young designer who participated in the BFC’s NewGen talent scheme, for their for joint label Chopova Lowena. 16Arlington’s Marco Calpado and Ahluwalia’s Priya Ahluwalia won New Establishment Awards for womenswear and menswear, respectively.
Star designer and entrepreneur Tom Ford, who stepped down from his brand last year and whose “perfectionism” and “daring“ were celebrated in a speech by Condé Nast chief content officer Anna Wintour, took home the Outstanding Achievement Award. Remo Ruffini, Moncler Group’s CEO, won the Trailblazer Award.
Elsewhere, photographer Tyler Mitchell won the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator, while Alex Consani was awarded model of the year. A$AP Rocky, who noted the increasingly blurred lines between fashion and other cultural verticals. won the Cultural Innovator award.
To kick off the evening, guests were treated to a performance from R&B duo Chloe and Halle Bailey. Later, Debbie Harry performed in honour of the Special Recognition Award for the ‘We Will Always Have London’ campaign won by Gucci and Nan Goldin, who ended her acceptance speech with a call to “Free Palestine.”
Other honourees included Dame Margaret Barbour, philanthropist and chairwoman of J. Barbour & Sons, and Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou, editor-in-chief and publisher of 10 Magazine.
See the full list of winners below:
Designer of the Year Award: Jonathan Anderson for JW Anderson and Loewe
British Womenswear Designer Award: Simone Rocha for Simone Rocha
British Menswear Designer Award: Grace Wales Bonner for Wales Bonner
BFC Foundation Designer Award: Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena for Chopova Lowena
New Establishment Womenswear Award: Marco Calpado for 16Arlington
New Establishment Menswear Award: Priya Ahluwalia for Ahluwalia
Outstanding Achievement Award: Tom Ford
Model of the Year Award: Alex Consani
Special Recognition Award: Dame Margaret Barbour
Special Recognition Award: Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou
Special Recognition Award: Nan Goldin and Gucci
Cultural Innovator Award: A$AP Rocky
Trailblazer Award: Remo Ruffini
Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator: Tyler Mitchell
Additional reporting by Vikram Alexei Kansara.
