2012 British Fashion Awards Winners Announced

The British Fashion Council announced the winners of the 2012 British Fashion Awards at a ceremony held at the Savoy hotel in London on 27 November 2012. The top award, as Designer of the Year, went to Stella McCartney who also received the Designer Brand Award for her eponymous label.

The evening saw 14 awards presented to leading figures in British fashion, recognising creative talent and design excellence across all areas of the industry. Hosted by Gemma Arterton and Nick Grimshaw, the British Fashion Awards ceremony was attended by key supporters of the fashion industry such as BFC Ambassador Samantha Cameron, Harold Tillman, Valentino, Manolo Blahnik, Stella McCartney, Sarah Burton, Christopher Kane and Alexa Chung.

Harold Tillman was honoured on the evening with a Special Recognition Award for his term as Chairman of the British Fashion Council and contribution to the fashion industry. Meanwhile, the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion was awarded to Manolo Blahnik. Professor Louise Wilson received the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator, in recognition of her creative inspiration and influence in the fashion industry, in the same year that she celebrates her twentieth anniversary as Course Director of the MA in Fashion at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

The Accessories Award went to Nicholas Kirkwood, and the New Establishment Award was won by Erdem, who over the past two seasons raised his profile receiving critical acclaim for his collections from a global audience. Kim Jones was awarded the Menswear Designer of the year for the second year in a row, based on his contribution to the menswear industry and most notably for his work at the helm of luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton’s menswear ready-to-wear line.

The Emerging Talent Award – Ready-To-Wear was won by J.W. Anderson; whereas Emerging talent Award – Menswear was won by Jonathan Saunders based on his breakthrough menswear debut over the past year. The Emerging Talent Award – Accessories was won by Sophie Hulme, in light of her iconic bag designs that have gained global attention.

Cara Delevingne picked up the Model award, in recognition of her contribution to the international fashion scene over the past year, and Roksanda Ilincic was the recipient of this year’s Red Carpet Award, after her creations were worn at prestigious events by personalities such as the Duchess of Cambridge, Samantha Cameron and Michelle Obama.

The British Style Award (sponsored by Vodafone) to recognise an individual who most embodies the spirit of London and is an international ambassador for London as a leading creative fashion capital went to Alexa Chung. This is the third time Chung has been recognised at the British Fashion Awards for her style credentials, and she remains the sole winner of the British Style Award since its introduction in 2010.