Fashion Awards: British Fashion Council to honour international designer and British fashion journalist in December; Nominees for Fashion Awards 2023 announced.

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced that Italian designer supremo Mr. Valentino Garavani, founder and former creative director of the Maison Valentino, will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award at The Fashion Awards 2023 (TFA), slated for  December 4th 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall, London. 

Valentino Garavani from British Fashion Council

Mr. Valentino is universally admired for his exquisite and groundbreaking couture creations and red-carpet gowns. Over his nearly 50 years as a designer, Mr. Valentino constructed gowns for influential and prestigious actresses, society ladies and politicians. Mr. Valentino’s extraordinary designs, dedication to craftsmanship, ubiquitous branding and business acumen have left an indelible mark on the fashion world and cemented him as a legend of haute couture.  

Additionally, British fashion journalist, renowned critic, and passionate advocate for young designers, Sarah Mower MBE, will receive a Special Recognition Award for Championing Young Designer Talent at TFA). Mower will be awarded for her outstanding contribution to the fashion industry and illustrious career in securing the pipeline of London’s fashion talent. She is a critic at Vogue, the BFC’s Ambassador for Emerging Talent, Chair of the BFC NEWGEN committee. Mower has provided prolific support to young British designers, guided by a relentless dedication to ensuring that talent from every background has the chance to participate in the industry. She is noted particularly for her support for emerging British designers has led to the rise of Ashish, Bianca Saunders, Christopher Kane, Erdem, JW Anderson, Matty Bovan, Priya Ahluwalia, Richard Quinn, Simone Rocha, SS Daley and countless others. Mower is a campaigner raising much needed scholarships for the students who will contribute to the health of the industry’s future in all its developing areas.

This year, Mower has guest curated the landmark exhibition, REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion sponsored by Alexander McQueen at the Design Museum which celebrates 30 years of BFC’s NEWGEN and tells the story of hundreds of fearless young designers who started in the UK and have transformed the fashion landscape. Mower is a Visiting Professor at Central Saint Martins, and her work has duly earned her an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Westminster University, an Honorary Fellow Royal College of Art, an Honorary Doctorate by the Academy of Art University of California, and an MBE for services to the fashion industry since 2011.

The Fashion Awards, organised by the BFC, are the primary fundraiser for the BFC Foundation and celebrate the role of fashion at the intersection of culture and entertainment, spotlighting creative talent and telling the stories of the year in fashion through the lens of purpose, excellence and creativity. 

 to announce its nominees for The Fashion Awards 2023 (TFA) which will take place on Monday 4th December 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall.  TFA, organised by the BFC, are the primary fundraiser for the BFC Foundation and celebrate the role of fashion at the intersection of culture and entertainment, spotlighting creative talent and telling the stories of the year in fashion through the lens of purpose, excellence, and creativity. In particular, British creative energy will be celebrated for its impact on the fashion industry globally.

Meanwhile TFA has also announced Award categories: Model of the Year, British Menswear Designer, British Womenswear Designer, New Establishment Menswear and the New Establishment Womenswear, and the winners will be revealed on December 4th as well. Nominees were presented to a Voting Committee of 1,000 leading industry members who will vote on the winners.

For the first time, the public have an opportunity to vote for the Model of the Year.

The Fashion Awards 2023 Nominees are (listed in alphabetical order):-

Model of the Year - Recognises the global impact of a model who, over the last 12 months, has dominated the industry, with an influence that transcends the catwalk.

Alton Mason; Anok Yai; Kai-Isaiah Jamal; Liu Wen; Mona Tougaard; Paloma Elsesser

British Menswear Designer of the Year - Recognises a leading British menswear designer who has consistently made a global impact with their innovative and creative designs, shaping the burgeoning international menswear landscape.

Grace Wales Bonner for Wales Bonner

Kiko Kostadinov for Kiko Kostadinov

Kim Jones for Dior Men

Martine Rose for Martine Rose

Steven Stokey-Daley for S.S.DALEY 

British Womenswear Designer of the Year - Recognises a leading British womenswear designer who has consistently made a global impact with their innovative and creative designs, shaping the burgeoning international womenswear landscape

Erdem Moralıoğlu for Erdem

Maximilian Davis for Ferragamo

Nensi Dojaka for Nensi Dojaka

Roksanda Ilinčić for ROKSANDA

Simone Rocha for Simone Rocha 

New Establishment Menswear - Recognises a menswear designer who has created a new movement in British fashion and has had a sustained impact on the industry globally. Designers are chosen based on the showcasing of their collections, their business growth, and the international headlines driven by their work.

Bianca Saunders

Corteiz

LABRUM London

Nicholas Daley

Saul Nash

New Establishment Womenswear - Recognises a womenswear designer who has created a new movement in British fashion and has had a sustained impact on the industry globally. Designers are chosen based on the showcasing of their collections, their business growth, and the international headlines driven by their work.

Chopova Lowena

Dilara Fındıkoğlu

KNWLS

ROBERT WUN

Supriya Lele

 The Voting Panel for all designer awards was chaired by Caroline Issa, BFC Non-Exec Board Member and Chief Executive, Tank Magazine and made up of Bosse Myhr, Director of Womenswear and Menswear at Selfridges, Charlie Porter, Fashion Writer and Commentator, Donna Wallace, Stylist and Consultant, Ida Petersson, Buying Director, Browns Fashion, Jeanie Annan-Lewin, Creative Director, The Perfect Magazine, Julia Sarr-Jamois, Stylist, Consultant and Fashion Director, British Vogue, Karen Binns, Editor & Publisher, Mandi Lennard, Founder and Director, Mandi’s Basement, Olivia Singer, Global Editorial Director, i-D, Sarah Mower, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent & Chief Critic, Vogue Runway, Sophia Neophitou, BFC Press Committee Chair and Editor-in-Chief, 10 Magazine and 10 Men and Stavros Karelis, Founder & Buying Director, MACHINE-A.

The Voting Panel for Model of the Year was made up of Anita Bitton, Casting Director, Candice Bailey, Stylist + Creative Consultant, Carlos Nazario, Stylist, Cyndia Harvey, Hair Stylist, Finlay MacAulay, Casting Director, Jawara, Hair Stylist and Senior Beauty Editor at Large, i-D, Julia Sarr-Jamois, Stylist, Consultant and Fashion Director, British Vogue, Kate Phelan, Stylist + Creative Consultant, Rosie Vogel, Global Director of Talent and Casting, Vogue, Samuel Ellis Scheinman, Casting Director and Sophia Neophitou, BFC Press Committee Chair and Editor-In-Chief, 10 Magazine and 10 Men.

Nominees for the Designer of the Year category and the BFC Foundation Award will be announced in November.

The 2023 accolades also include the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator, Outstanding Achievement Award, Leader of Change as well as several Special Recognition Awards for exceptional contribution to the fashion industry. Additionally, the event will recognise 50 of the most innovative and inspiring young creative talent from around the world as part of NEW WAVE: Creatives.