All of the Photos and Details From Inside the 2019 British Fashion Awards
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With the red carpet rolled out over the mighty Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Steps—and the temperature plummeting to zero—as guests arrived at the 2019 British Fashion Awards, the swiftest of step-and-repeats was necessary, yet spirits were warmer. Amongst the best dressed was Julia Roberts, who made the ascent in a sequin black Giorgio Armani jumpsuit. The English rose for a new generation, GURLS TALK founder and model Adwoa Aboah, made a breathtaking entrance in a vintage rose-chintz John Galliano dress. As industry friends greeted each other for one of the buzziest evenings on the London calendar, A$AP Rocky FaceTimed his best friend Tyler, the Creator to tell him to hurry up. The show was about to commence!
The night’s host Tracee Ellis Ross reigned supreme, taking to the stage with humor, gumption, and, of course, high fashion. Her five epic costume changes started with a celestial white Loewe (on the red carpet), a dynamic Richard Quinn floral to kick off proceedings, and an emerald Erdem runway gown (complete with a runway wide-brimmed hat) before ricocheting through a series of sequins from Gucci and Simone Rocha. Within the first five minutes of her opening skit, the Black-ish actor impressed the audience with her pitch-perfect queen’s English and London nonce, summing up Brexit, Marks Spencer, fish and chips, and Harry Styles. Humor aside, Ross celebrated the power of fashion, beauty, and self-love throughout the awards.
The night started by looking forward to the next generation as North London rapper Little Simz gave a kinetic performance while models circled the room in all-white creations. The impressive procession of avant-garde looks were all made by first-year Central Saint Martins’s fashion students. The quietly radical Central Saint Martins alumni Daniel Lee was on a roll too: Having only been at the helm of Bottega Veneta since 2018, the 33-year-old designer was given a total of four accolades to take home in his Intrecciato, including the coveted Designer of the Year and Brand of the Year. MIA, or rather in Miami (for his prefall presentation today), was Kim Jones, who took British Menswear Designer of the Year, but his friend Donatella Versace accepted on his behalf, jesting that their true bond is a mutual love of diamonds. Also shining bright was Rihanna, dressed in a cascade of diamonds and a mint tulle Fenty dress. “Thank you for believing in me as a young black woman and my talent,” she said as she accepted the award for Urban Luxe from Tyler, the Creator (he finally made it!) and Janet Jackson, who wore Stella McCartney. “Thank you [LVMH’s Bernard Arnault] for giving me the opportunity to prove what I love to do,” added the mogul. As Rihanna’s huge, victorious industry strides for racial advancement were acknowledged, the sentiment of her stylish collaborator Jahleel Weaver was shared by the room; “I just love you!” he exclaimed as she took him to the podium to share the award.
Christopher Kane was presented with a new award, the Designer’s Designer award by Kylie Minogue (resplendent in retina-rocking Christopher Kane neon yellow lace), to well deserved whoops. Rejina Pyo and Bethany Williams won Emerging Talent awards for womenswear and menswear, respectively. The ever affable and talented hairstylist Sam McKnight was the recipient of the Isabella Blow award for Fashion Creator. “It’s amazing to have a light shine on us teams of people backstage, because it’s usually very front-of-house,” he said. “It’s the first time a ‘hair person’ has won this, so it’s really quite amazing.”
There was a pause for reflection mid-ceremony. While it was a night of big wins, there was a devastating loss to acknowledge, the passing of “Renaissance man” Karl Lagerfeld. Anna Wintour and Amanda Harlech touchingly honored their friend: “No designer had more esoteric references,” Wintour said, noting his erudite, boundless appreciation of culture. They used the platform to announce that Chanel will now be offering an masters of arts scholarship to Central Saint Martins in his honor. A fitting tribute for the late creative director, who began his “epic fashion journey” after winning the Woolmark Prize alongside Yves Saint Laurent in 1954.
Another inspiring and affecting address came from South Sudanese-Australian Adut Akech, who took the title of Model of the Year, and called for greater diversity not just in the fashion industry, but in society as a whole. Dressed by Valentino in vibrant green couture, a fitting choice as Pierpaolo Piccioli has long cast Akech in his shows, but also reimagined the storied house, balancing both extravagance and inclusivity. Later she said, “This award is bigger than me; it’s bigger than a title in the industry. It’s for every young girl or boy refugee around the world in a tough position who [is] unheard or unseen.” Adding: “People who see representation or validation in the work that I do, this is for them. If there wasn’t any inclusivity, I wouldn’t be here.”