by LONDON — “Fashion touches every country, continent and time zone. We have to use our power for good,” said Jodie Turner-Smith, who hosted the Fashion Awards here on Monday night.
The British and Jamaican activist and actor asked the crowd of hundreds gathered at the Royal Albert Hall: “Can you imagine the fashion industry without the LGBTQIA+ community? Fashion is with you and supports you in what has been a difficult period and sometimes very messed up.
It set the tone for the evening. This year’s awards ceremony mirrored last year’s events, focusing on best achievements, creativity and social impact.
It was telling that this year’s Outstanding Achievement Award went not to a designer – past winners have included Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld – but to a businessman who made a fortune outdoor clothing and then gave it all away in the name of the environment.
Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, was recognized by the British Fashion Council with the award at Monday’s Fashion Awards.
Chouinard, notoriously publicity-shy, wasn’t there to accept it in person. Instead, Charles Conn, president of the brand, took his place and said: “I feel it in all the themes tonight, the desire to create with more sustainability, with more kindness. It is a theme that has been repeated throughout the evening.
In September, Chouinard transferred ownership of the company he founded to two new entities: Patagonia Purpose Trust and Holdfast Collective.
Caroline Rush, chief executive of the BFC, previously said Chouinard has set “a new precedent” for responsible business.
“By building a brand that consistently encourages its consumers to buy well and buy less, he has changed the consumer mindset on the apparel lifecycle and created an invaluable blueprint for a just transition within the apparel industry.” , he has declared.
The Model of the Year winner was Bella Hadid, who creates a halo around nearly every brand she wears, boosting sales and raising awareness. In addition to modeling, she has been a prolific activist and fundraiser.
In October, she was presented with the Golden Heart Award for mental health by the charity God’s Love We Deliver. She and her sister, Gigi Hadid, have pledged to donate earnings from the 2022 Fashion Week to charities supporting Ukraine and Palestine.
Stylist Carlos Nazario accepted the award on Hadid’s behalf, with an accompanying home video sent in by the model.
“As the daughter of a refugee father from Palestine and an immigrant mother from Holland, there is a kind of work ethic that runs in our blood. It doesn’t have to be the best. It’s not about being better than others. It’s just to be able to succeed because our ancestors never had an opportunity like this in their life. This is for Palestinian children. This is for Dutch kids. This is for any child, immigrant or refugee,” said Hadid, who went on to thank her peers and “all the models who show up every single day and work hard with little to no recognition. I know it’s not easy.
There was also the Leaders of Change award which went to 15 individuals, 10 of whom were recognized for their work in the fields of environmental impact and diversity, equality and inclusion.
These include Bethany Williams, Connor Ives, Gabriela Hearst, Marine Serre, Rafael Pavarotti, Sinead Burke and the Ukrainian designer Julie Pelipas.
Pelipas took to the stage to thank the British fashion industry for her country’s support.
“We all love fashion here, it’s with us every day. It is our greatest gift. I want you to imagine doing everything you do, but in complete darkness: there was no electricity, no heat, no water, and under the constant risk of being killed or injured, just in your office. This is exactly how the Ukrainian fashion industry operates right now,” Pelipas said.
“We continue to produce clothes, shoot campaigns and run retail businesses. We have even launched new beauty brands and all this out of non-normal environments,” she continued, optimistically inviting everyone to the Ukraninan Fashion Awards, Ukraine, next year.
Charles Jeffrey and Tilda Swinton
Adam Duke/WWD
The conversation took an even more political turn during the evening, with host Turner-Smith poking fun at the current political landscape in the UK, floating the idea that Tilda Swinton, one of the evening’s presenters, should run for Prime Minister.
He also put on his environmental activist hat, urging the evening’s main sponsor Diet Coke to stop using plastic bottles.
The night’s winners, meanwhile, were thrilled to collect their prizes.
Pierpaolo Piccioli and Kristen McMenamy
Adam Duke/WWD
“Being nominated already means a win for me, my team and the people who share this journey with me,” Pierpaolo Piccioli told WWD ahead of his big win as Designer of the Year for Valentino. “It’s already a party.”
SS Daley accepted the BFC Foundation Award saying: “Royal Albert Hall! I feel like Adele. Whoever voted for this category, you have amazing taste. I’m super excited about British talent tonight.
Wales Bonner won the Independent British Brand, where she thanked her longtime collaborator, stylist Tom Guinness, and his team in a short speech.
All three awards were voted for by an international jury of 1,000 industry experts.
Designer of the Year was the biggest award of the night. Each year it is awarded to a British or international creative whose collections have had ‘a major impact on the industry, defining the shape of global fashion’, according to the BFC.
The original candidates were Demna for Balenciaga; Jonathan Anderson for JW Anderson and Loewe; Matthieu Blazy for Bottega Veneta; Miuccia Prada; and Piccioli.
As reported, Balenciaga and Demna withdrew from Monday’s event due to ongoing controversy over two of the brand’s advertising campaigns involving children and pornography.
Both Balenciaga and Demna apologized for the announcements.
Demna was seen as a frontrunner for the award due to his bold and forward-thinking live events and overall influence on fashion.
Furthermore, during the evening, a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II was held, with The Fashion Salute Show.
Naomi Campbell
Adam Duke/WWD
“Her Majesty approved of the work ‘done by the BFC’ and helped to encourage the future of young creative talent,” said Naomi Campbell, who introduced the tribute.
Designer brands taking part included Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Christopher Kane, David Koma, Dunhill, Edward Crutchley, Erdem, Halpern, Harris Reed, JW Anderson, Matty Bovan, Molly Goddard, Roksanda, Roland Mouret, Simone Rocha, Stella McCartney, Stephen Jones, Vivienne Westwood, Victoria Beckham and Zandra Rhodes.
The fashion show concluded with a Great Highland bagpipe as a nod to the Queen’s love of Scotland.
Jean-Paul Gaultier
Adam Duke/WWD
The pre-show ceremony featured a “Jean Paul Gaultier Fashion Freak Show”, a sizzling combination of revue, pop concert and fashion show, while the awards ceremony opened with a Year in Review film presented by Christine Quinn, Tom Daley and Munya Chawawa.
The film included highlights from the four fashion capitals; the struggle for freedom in Iran and men’s and women’s football.
There was a live performance by singer Shygirl, who performed her hit single “Cleo,” in a white duvet the size of the state of Alaska.
Dixie D’Amelio, Poppy Delevingne, Lily James, Sabrina Elba, Han So-he, Charlotte Tilbury, Olivia Culpo, Sabrina Carpenter and Heidi D’Amelio.
Adam Duke/WWD
Charlotte Tilbury presented and accepted the award on behalf of Katie Grand, who won the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator.
The cosmetics guru praised Blow for introducing her and Grand in the mid-1990s.
“Issy Blow was one of the reasons I dreamed of fashion,” Tilbury read from a note given to her by Grand, thanking her family and friends. Grand was unable to attend the event.
Dazed Media co-founder Jefferson Hack received a Special Recognition Award for Cultural Curation from his friend Swinton, who compared him to the English poet William Blake and called him “my dear friend, my companion.”
The annual Fashion Awards event raises money for the BFC Foundation, a charity which supports the future growth and success of the British fashion industry by focusing on talent, education, grants and business mentoring and aims to improve equality and opportunities in the sector.
The BFC said it remitted over £1.3m in funds to designers and students in the 2021-22 financial year.
