(See what we did there? Like the love child of ‘Got milk’ and ‘You’ve been tangoed’)
Laura Reynolds looks at the hype surrounding the collaboration.
Just a week to go until the man in red arrives...
Not as well publicised as other awards ceremonies, the British Fashion Awards are no less glitzy or star-studded. Celebrating the best of British fashion for the past twenty two years, the awards recognise the contribution that some of the most creative minds in the world make to the international fashion industry.
On Monday 28th November, guests including Tali Lennox and Amber Le Bon, Marc Jacobs, Samantha Cameron, and French singer du jour Josephine de la Baume descended on the Savoy Hotel and Theatre in London for a drinks reception, dinner, and the awards themselves. Despite Stella McCartney and Stella Tennant disappearing until after dinner had been served, the evening, hosted by George Lamb and Lauren Laverne, went smoothly.
The coveted ‘Designer of the Year’ award went to Sarah Burton, whose creative direction at Alexander McQueen has allowed her to add her own touch to the brand, whilst still continuing McQueen’s legacy. ‘Accessory Designer of the Year’ was Charlotte Dellal with her footwear label Charlotte Olympia, worn by celebrities and socialites alike. ‘Model of the Year’ went to Stella Tennant, whose three decades in the industry have seen huge changes, which she highlighted by thanking "all the teams in post-production". Victoria Beckham won the ‘Designer Brand’ award; her label’s sales are at £28 million this year award, showing critics who cited her as just another “celebrity-turned-designer” that she has found her niche and is here to stay. The ‘Red Carpet’ award went to Stella McCartney, the ‘Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator’ was won by Sam Gainsbury of Gainsbury and Whiting, and Kim Jones, new Style Director at Louis Vuitton, scooped the ‘Menswear Designer’ award.
Paul Smith, an international icon, was awarded the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Fashion’ for his constant inspiration and consistently contributing to the international fashion industry over his many decades in the business.
The ‘Emerging Talent Awards’ recognise fledgling labels, often bringing them to the awareness of a wider range of people. The ‘Womenswear’ award went to Mary Katrantzou; if you don’t recognise the name, you’d definitely recognise her digitally enhanced graphic prints, versions of which have been all over the highstreet. Combining truly digital art with fashion, she’s at the head of a wave of designers trying to push fashion into a new technological era. Tabitha Simmons’ footwear won the ‘Accessories’ award, and ‘Menswear’ went to Christopher Raeburn for his revolutionary ethical designs.
With London seen as the most creative fashion capital, where innovation and young talent runs wild, it was only a matter of time before a new award was created to celebrate those designers currently between “emerging talent” and “well founded fashion house”. Step forward the ‘New Establishment Award’, won by the well-deserving Christopher Kane. His relatively young label has become the go-to for fashion shoots looking for something a little bit different, achiveing stylish and quirky without being plain weird. It is down to his forward-thinking visions that his designs are worn the world over and his label has maintained a steady reputation in the past years of financial turmoil.
And it was not only designers who were rewarded for their efforts; the British public voted Alexa Chung to win the ‘British Style’ award for the second year in a row. In the past few years, street style has become as influential as what is seen on the catwalks and red carpets of the world, and Alexa’s style was voted as the one that best summed up the fashion spirit of Britain.
It’s been a hard time in recent years for the economy in general, but this has simply shown the strength of the British fashion industry; amidst the doom and gloom of economic downturn, both Mulberry and Burberry have expanded their brands at an astounding rate. This, along with the multi-generational talent seen at the British Fashion Awards, is testament to the place that Britain, once on the periphery of the fashion world, now holds in the industry.
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