Following this year’s rebranding of the British Fashion Awards (now just The Fashion Awards), the Brits decamped to Los Angeles to announce the nominees on Tuesday, which are now being chosen from a global pool.
“We are an international industry serving one global consumer base,” said Dame Natalie Massenet, chairman of the British Fashion Council and an L.A.-native herself.
“L.A. is such an extraordinary conduit for all these industries — fashion, music, entertainment,” Massanet told Pret-a-Reporter. “They used to say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. But this is where the tech industry is moving to, this is where Hollywood is, where the music industry is. For a fashion designer, if you can make it in L.A., you can make it anywhere.”
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Gathering in the sun-drenched garden of West Hollywood’s SoHo house, guests — including stylists Tanya Gill (Jane Fonda), Cristina Ehrlich (Brie Larson, Anna Kendrick) and Joseph Cassell (Taylor Swift), as well as Rachel Zoe and Poppy Delevingne (older sister of Cara) — arrived in their best brunch attire to hear the nominees presented by CEO of the British Fashion Council Caroline Rush and Swarovski brand ambassador Karlie Kloss, who represented the jeweler and sponsor of the Fashion Awards. The awards ceremony itself will take place at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Dec. 5.
The announcement was simulcast at an event in London as well as online, so that the nominees the world over — from Denma and Guram Gvasalia (of Balenciaga and Vetements, respectively) to Moscow-native Gosha Rubchinskiy and even international model nominees Kendall Jenner and both Hadid sisters — could partake.
“Fashion is such a global industry and to not exclude any country or any designer is amazing,” said stylist B. Akerlund. “We need to support all the designers across the world and not just focus on the U.K,” she added, singling out Vetements as a newer brand she’s excited to support.
However, as Novena Borissova, owner of the Curve boutiques, noted, with a more global market, the industry could run the risk of becoming too homogenous. “I think that globalization is amazing, let’s just hope that people keep individuality in it,” she said. “Now people from Russia, Japan, Dubai and Africa are all going to design a sweatshirt — I hope that they keep their personality.”
Zoe, clad in a leather suit from her collection and oversized round sunglasses, applauded Massanet (Net-a-Porter founder and former CEO) for always breaking new ground in fashion, “Natalie Massanet is such a force — [The Fashion Awards] is going to be like nothing you’ve ever seen. Roger [Berman, Zoe’s husband] and I are going to try and go to London for them.”
The Fashion Awards 2016 Nominees
British Emerging Talent
Alessandra Rich
Charles Jeffrey
Faustine Stenmetz
Molly Goddard
Self Portrait
British Menswear Designer
Craig Green for Craig Green
Grace Wales Bonner for Wales Bonner
Tom Ford for Tom Ford
Dame Vivienne Westwood for Vivienne Westwood
British Womenswear Designer
Christopher Kane for Christopher Kane
Roksanda Ilincic for Roksanda
Sarah Burton OBE for Alexander McQueen
Simone Rocha for Simone Rocha
British Brand
Alexander McQueen
Burberry
Christopher Kane
Erdem
Stella McCartney
International Business Leader
Adrian Joffe for Commes des Garcons & Dover Street Market
Christopher Bailey MBE for Burberry
Guram Gvasalia for Vetements
Marco Bizzarri for Gucci
Stefano Sassi for Valentino
International Urban Luxury Brand
Adidas
Gosha Rubchinsky
Off-White
Palace
Vetements
International Model
Adwoah Aboach
Bella Hadid
Gigi Hadid
Kendall Jenner
Lineisy Montero
International Accessories Designer
Alessandro Michele for Gucci
Anya Hindmarch for Anya Hindmarch
Johnny Coca for Mulberry
Jonathan Anderson for Loewe
Stuart Vevers for Coach
International Ready-to-Wear Deisgner
Alessandro Michele for Gucci
Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga
Donatella Versace for Versace
Jonathan Anderson for Loewe
Riccardo Tisici for Givenchy
