Meghan Markle, Kate Moss, Richard Quinn, and More From Inside the 2018 Fashion Awards
Meghan Markle, Kate Moss, Richard Quinn, and More From Inside the 2018 Fashion Awards
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Rosamund Pike, and Claire Waight Keller all in Givenchy
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Kate Moss and Penelope Cruz in Chanel Haute Couture
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Paolo Riva, Victoria Beckham Brooklyn Beckham, and Brooke Shields in Victoria Beckham
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Kendall Jenner in Julien Macdonald
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David Beckham in Alexander McQueen and Jack Whitehall
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Kaia Gerber in Alexander McQueen and Cindy Crawford in Marchesa
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Jourdan Dunn in 16Arlington, Edward Enninful, Neelam Gill, and Maria Borges in Rami Kadi
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Rita Ora in Prada
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Giancarlo Giammetti, Marco Bizzarri, Valentino Garavani, Alessandro Michele, and Lana Del Rey in Gucci
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Carey Mulligan in Prada
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Sarah Burton and Anders Christian Madsen
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Jerry Hall and Elizabeth Jagger
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Matthew Healy, Richard Quinn, and Karen Elson in Alexander McQueen
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Robert Pattinson in Dior Homme
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Kim Jones
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Ellie Goulding
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The scene inside the Fashion Awards
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Miuccia Prada, Uma Thurman in Prada, and Patrizio Bertelli
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Virgil Abloh and Winnie Harlow in Atelier Versace
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Roksanda Ilincic, Emilia Wickstead, and Matty Bovan
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Vogue’s Hamish Bowles
Photo: Getty ImagesAlice Naylor-Leyland and Erin O’Connor
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Jack Whitehall and Alek Wek in custom Emilia Wickstead
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Saoirse Ronan in Gucci
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Boy George
Photo: Getty ImagesAquaria in Matty Bovan
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Nadja Swarovski and Pierre LaGrange
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Adut Akech in Valentino and Sinead Burke
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Tyler Mitchell and Wilson Oryema
Photo: Getty ImagesOlivia Palermo in Victoria Beckham and Monica Vinader and Charlotte Tilbury
Photo: Getty ImagesNatalie Massenet and Stephanie Phair
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Henry Holland and Yasmin Le Bon
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Alek Wek in 16Arlington
Photo: Getty ImagesWhen the Duchess of Sussex stepped up to award Clare Waight Keller as British Designer of the Year last night, the designer looked every bit as astonished as the rest of the Fashion Awards audience at The Royal Albert Hall. The plan had been concealed behind a program which billed Rosamund Pike as the award presenter—true enough, the actress was on stage—but only at the very last second did Meghan Markle manifest next to her. Though the Duchess of Sussex was wearing a one-shouldered velvet Givenchy dress (which had to have required a recent fitting) it seemed she’d turned the tables on Waight-Keller, returning the “surprise” compliment to the designer, who’d famously guarded her wedding dress secret so deeply that her name never even appeared on the lists of supposed contenders. Like Catherine Middleton and Sarah Burton, it seems this trusted woman-to-woman relationship is set fair to continue. Meghan praised Clare’s “ kindness” and “values,” and described her own view of fashion as an emotional backup: “It’s about supporting and empowering each other, especially as women.”
That moment was a—as it were—crowning moment for British fashion in a year in which, while the UK government may be toppling, the royals have come out to back the home fashion industry to an unprecedented degree. Her Majesty the Queen’s visit to Richard Quinn’s show in February made history as the first she’s attended in her reign. Sure enough, the sprinkling of royal fairy-dust helped Quinn to being voted Emerging British Womenswear Designer of the year by a panel of 2000 international editors, buyers and industry business people. Talent will out, as far as Bergdorf Goodman in Quinn’s case, but the global publicity boost was invaluable, too.
That’s the point about The Fashion Awards now. In London it may be, but the event has had a global remit for the past three years; a fact celebrated in the election of Pierpaolo Piccioli as Designer of the Year, for his stunning Valentino collections. A universally beloved figure, he spoke with inspiring humility about his memory of being a boy from a completely unlikely background who got where he is through dreaming. That struck just one of the notes about fashion reality-beyond-glamour that threaded through the evening. “It’s a beautiful job, but it’s a hard job,” said Alessandro Michele, on picking up Gucci’s trophy for Brand of the Year. “I’m happy and lucky because this award tonight doesn’t belong to me, but to my company, and the people who work all day and some of the nights for it.”
Miuccia Prada and Vivienne Westwood, too, caused cheers from the upper circles for their political statements. Those seats were packed with students and some of the 100 New Wave Creatives— photographers, journalists, stylists, models and outstanding young contributors to the industry who’ve also been spotlit by an international poll this year. As Miuccia Prada accepted the Outstanding Achievement Award, she remarked on what the power of the industry means to her: “I’m so happy to be here, because more and more I feel part of this community, and I feel this community is very relevant.. and I feel more and more we should defend human rights and freedom.”
More applause and whoops accompanied Dame Vivienne Westwood as she came on stage to accept the Swarovski Positive Change Award, cited for her environmental activism. She occupied the platform to deliver a speech (which was more of a lecture) drawing the links between the destruction of the environment, over-production, and capitalist greed. “I have a plan to save the world” she declared.
Well, given current debacles, maybe Vivienne Westwood would do a better job of that than Britain’s current Prime Minister. Young people want leaders to look up to; don’t we all? On that level, whether it was seeing a member of the royal family doing her bit, or hearing the goddesses and gods of the fashion industry speaking from the heart about things that actually matter, it was an inspiring night for newcomers. In fact, the event will also result in paying for the education of some of the aspiring change-makers students of this generation. Nadja Swarovski pledged £300, 000 to boost the proceeds from the Fashion Awards, which go towards funding scholarships and young designer support schemes, thus keeping up the flow of fashion talent destined to circulate around the globe.
