BRITISH FASHION AWARDS 2011
The Savoy Hotel played host to this years British Fashion Awards, where the crème de la crème of the fashion world gathered together to celebrate Britain’s biggest names in the sartorial world. Sarah Burton walked away with the award for Designer of the Year; a well deserved recognition of Burton’s enviable skill and creative eye that has continued to thrive under the Alexander McQueen line.
Awarded by the British Fashion Council, they said of their decision to honour Sarah Burton; “(she) has allowed McQueen’s legacy to live on while still giving her own twist of creative genius to a collection that has outshone its rivals on and off the catwalk.” The humble designer combines iconic heritage silhouettes, with fairytale visions of fantasy and drama; as the designer said herself upon receiving the award; “this feels like the icing on the cake, of a really amazing year.” No stranger to the British Fashion Awards, Sir Paul Smith was awarded the coveted Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design, by the British Fashion Council. Smith is admired for his classic British clothes with a twist. His collections epitomise British fashion and why it is so unique and highly regarded; impeccable attention to detail, incomparable tailoring, but never taken too seriously. His designs have a cemented spot in the history of fashion and every collection continues to stand the test of time. The award celebrates the achievement of “a designer whose work has had an exceptional impact on global fashion”, and Paul Smith, who has previously been honored with exceptional menswear designer (1997/9) and classic designer (2001), could not be more deserving of such recognition.
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Other winners included Alexa Chung who scooped the British Style Award, Stella McCartney was awarded the Red Carpet prize, and Victoria Beckham for Designer Brand. The Emerging Talent Award is perhaps the most exciting; a prophesy for the future of the young designer bestowed with the award. Previous winners include Meadham Kirchhoff and Peter Pilotto; both who have gone on to become notable figures in the world of fashion. This years womenswear winner was Mary Katrantzou, a flourishing young designer, whose bold graphic prints and hyperreal aesthetic have led to her winning NEWGEN sponsorship for six seasons. Whether Katrantzou’s inspiration for a collection is drawn from architecture or nature, her innovative vision results in completely unique works of fashion as well as already perfecting a signature style; a promising start for this rising star.
