Our picks
British Fashion Awards, Alexander McQueen, BFC Outstanding Achievement in Fashion award
Alexander McQueen in Milan 2006.
The cream of the UK fashion industry will be fighting it out for a clutch of prestigious prizes at the 2010 British Fashion Awards tonight. While the British Fashion Council (BFC) will ultimately decide who wins, the fashion team has decided to pick who they think should scoop the awards. Do you agree with us? Read on to find out.
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BFC Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design award
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Fiona Raisbeck, junior fashion news and features editor, says: “There are in fact no nominees for this year’s award because the late great Alexander McQueen, who committed suicide earlier this year, will be posthumously honoured with the prize. The British Fashion Council said that the award, which was won by John Galliano last year, will celebrate McQueen’s “exceptional impact on global fashion”. I think you’ll agree, it’s a touching tribute to McQueen, real name Lee, who will always be remembered as a true fashion innovator and the most influential designer of his generation.”
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Picture: Alexander McQueen runs down the catwalk after showing his autumn/winter 2006 collection in Milan.
British Style award
British Fashion Awards, Alexa Chung, British Style award
Alexa Chung in Versus in April 2010.
Fiona Raisbeck, junior fashion news and features editor, says: “Following on from the success of last year’s London 25 award, where the public voted for the winner, comes the British Style prize, which celebrates an individual who most embodies the spirit of London and is an international ambassador for UK style. But who will follow in the very fashionable footsteps of last year’s victor Kate Moss? Apparently Georgia May Jagger, Emma Watson, Stella McCartney, Lily Cole and Tilda Swinton are all contenders, but my pick would still be Alexa Chung who flies the flag for British fashion around the globe. She’s a Chanel ambassador, has had a must-have accessory (Mulberry’s Alexa handbag) named after her, with designers clamouring to get her snapped at their shows or in their clothes, such is the power of this sartorial muse on the shopping habits of the world’s girls.”
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Picture: Alexa Chung wearing Versus at the Art of Elysium ‘Bright Lights\' fundraising event hosted by Versus’ Donatella Versace and Christopher Kane in New York in April 2010.
Emerging Talent Award - Ready-to-Wear
British Fashion Awards, Mary Katrantzou, Emerging Talent Award Ready-to-Wear
Mary Katrantzou spring/summer 2011.
The nominees: Mary Katrantzou, Meadham Kirchhoff, Michael van der Ham.
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Funmi Fetto, fashion and beauty director, says: \"I love, love, love Mary Katrantzou’s colourfully eclectic prints. She upped the ante with her spring/summer 2011 collection, which was cleverly but loosely inspired by Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton’s subversive photography. She is one of the most exciting names to come out of London in a long time.\"
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Picture: Mary Katrantzou spring/summer 2011.
Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator
British Fashion Awards, Nicola Formichetti, Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator
Lady Gaga at the 2010 Brit Awards.
The nominees: Nick Knight, Nicola Formichetti and Rankin.
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Funmi Fetto, fashion and beauty director, says: \"Nicola Formichetti is the uber-stylist behind the marvellous madness we have all come to know as Lady Gaga. Anyone who can do what he has done with her is a truly worthy winner.\"
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Picture: Lady Gaga at the Brit Awards in February 2010.
Accessory Designer award
British Fashion Awards, Mulberry, Emma Hill, Accessory Designer award
Mulberry Alexa handbags.
The nominees: Camilla Skovgaard, Emma Hill for Mulberry and Nicholas Kirkwood.
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Fiona Raisbeck, junior fashion news and features editor, says: “This award will see shoe designers Camilla Skovgaard and Nicholas Kirkwood fight it out with Mulberry’s creative director, Emma Hill. The clear winner for me is Hill who joined the luxury British brand in 2007. Mulberry’s accessories collections have really gone up a notch in the last few years and that’s thanks to Hill. Her masterstroke, however, was the reworking of the traditional satchel and naming it after TV presenter and style icon du jour Alexa Chung. The result? Mulberry handbag sales bucked the recession and reported an 80% rise in sales last month. Enough said.”
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Picture: Mulberry Alexa handbags from the autumn/winter 2010 collection.
Model award
British Fashion Awards, Lara Stone, Model award
Lara Stone at a Calvin Klein event in Berlin in July 2010.
The nominees: David Gandy, Lara Stone and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
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Jemma Tibbals, junior fashion editor, says: \"It has most definitely been Lara’s year: muse to French Vogue’s Carine Roitfeld, face of Calvin Klein, DKNY and Prada fragrances amongst others, plus bride to Little Britain funnyman David Walliams – her exposure has been through the roof. Definitely a rightful winner (even if she is only in this category because her father is British). We’ll let it slide.\"
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Picture: Lara Stone at a Calvin Klein Collection event in Berlin in July 2010.
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Emerging Talent Award - Accessories
British Fashion Awards, Charlotte Dellal, Charlotte Olympia, Emerging Talent Award Accessories
Charlotte Dellal.
The nominees: Charlotte Olympia, Husam El Odeh and Jessica McCormack.
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Jemma Tibbals, junior fashion editor, says: \"I would love to see Charlotte Dellal scoop this prize for her shoe label, Charlotte Olympia. Her platforms have given her a broad yet fashion focused fanbase – edgy sister Alice, fashion starlet Olivia Palermo and big-hitters like Gywneth Paltrow and SJP regularly step out in her designs. The youthful colour-ways and the sexy styles she experiments with give her designs a real exotic yet intrinsically London vibe.\"
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Picture: Charlotte Dellal in her own design.
Designer Brand award
British Fashion Awards, Victoria Beckham, Designer Brand award
Victoria Beckham in New York.
The nominees: Burberry, Mulberry, Pringle of Scotland and Victoria Beckham.
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Funmi Fetto, fashion and beauty director, says: \"Victoria Beckham has really won over her critics this year with a stellar collection loved and worn by an A-list fanbase that reads like a who’s who of the fashion and celebrity worlds. Her sheer determination and eye for a great cut – and covetable accessories – make Mrs Beckham truly deserving of this award.\"
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Picture: Victoria Beckham with one of her own handbag designs in New York in September 2010.
Designer of the Year award
British Fashion Awards, Phoebe Philo for Celine, Designer of the Year award
Phoebe Philo of Celine.
The nominees: Christopher Kane, Erdem and Phoebe Philo for Celine.
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Jemma Tibbals, junior fashion editor, says: \"Poor Christopher Kane and Erdem Moralioglu, despite both being exceptionally worthy candidates, they hardly stand a chance up against Celine’s Phoebe Philo. Philo’s return to fashion at the helm of Celine has been seen by the fashion press as something of a second-coming – we’ll eat our hat if she doesn’t walk away with this.\"
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Picture: Phoebe Philo’s biography shot from the Celine website.
