The British Fashion Council hosted the 2022 Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London in December last year, honouring those who contribute to ‘creating an industry that promotes self-expression and individuality, perpetuates joy and optimism, and pioneers innovation and positive change’, according to the British Fashion Council’s Chief Executive Caroline Rush.
Awards presented during this annual celebration of fashion industry players at the forefront of change and innovation included the Special Recognition Award For Cultural Curation for outstanding contributions to the fashion industry, which went to the co-founder of independent media company Dazed Media, Jefferson Hack; the British Fashion Council Foundation Award for an emerging designer, to menswear designer SS Daley; and the Independent British Brand award for a British designer running an independent business, to luxury brand Wales Bonner.
A recent category addition, the Metaverse World & Gaming Experience Award, which celebrates a brand at the forefront of innovation and experimentation within the metaverse world, went to luxury British brand Burberry for its Burberry x Blankos Block Party and Burberry x Minecraft experiences.
The coveted Designer of the Year award for a designer whose collections define global fashion was snapped up by Pierpaolo Piccioli, joint creative director of Italian luxury fashion house Valentino.
Sustainability shone through, with five honourees awarded in the ‘Environment’ category for their work towards reducing the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Outdoor-clothing retailer Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard got the Outstanding Achievement Award for his extraordinary dedication to environmentalism. The accolades also included fifteen ‘Leaders of Change’ – designers, brands, creatives and individuals who created positive change within the fashion industry in the categories of environment, people and creativity.
Each winner was presented with a trophy designed by Design Indaba alum Yinka Ilori. The trophies, which honour Ilori’s typically colourful design style and were made of glass rods, were created in collaboration with environmentally friendly jeweller Skydiamond and The Glass Foundry.
In addition to being a celebration of the biggest names in fashion, the annual Fashion Awards is also a fundraiser for the British Fashion Council Foundation, a registered charity supporting designers and creatives.
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Yinka Ilori’s new 20-piece homeware collection merges African and English customs
Photograph: British Fashion Council.
