On Monday evening, Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson won the coveted Designer of the Year award at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He achieved this for the third time in a row at the Fashion Awards 2025.
The British Fashion Council (BFC) annual awards serve as a fundraising event for the BFC Foundation. This supports fashion talent through scholarships and other initiatives. A total of 15 prizes were awarded. Homegrown talent who picked up awards included Sarah Burton and Grace Wales Bonner. Dilara Fındıkoğlu, Brunello Cucinelli, French fashion house Chanel, Delphine Arnault and British rapper and actress Little Simz were also honored.
Anderson was once again the winner of the Designer of the Year award. This time he was recognized for the successful relaunch of his own label JW Anderson, which he has developed into a lifestyle brand. This focuses on “objects of sophisticated craftsmanship”. His debut as artistic director for menswear and womenswear at the luxury fashion house Dior was also recognized. There he received a standing ovation for his Spring/Summer 2026 women’s collection, which he presented during Paris Fashion Week in October.
In the fight for the award, he prevailed against strong competition. These included Glenn Martens for Diesel and Maison Margiela as well as Martine Rose. Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu, Rick Owens and Willy Chavarria were also nominated. They were proposed to develop “innovative collections” that have had a “remarkable impact on the industry” and defined the shape of global fashion.
There was another success for Dior. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Delphine Arnault received a Special Recognition Award for her “outstanding contribution” to the global fashion industry. Previously, the BFC announced that Dior would increase its investment in the BFC Foundation scholarship program. A new annual MA Women’s Fashion Scholarship will now be introduced to complement the existing MA Men’s Fashion Scholarship. In addition, Dior has committed to increasing funding, previously granted every two years, to two annual grants.
The Fashion Awards 2025: These are the winners
The luxury goods group Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) also celebrated success for its Givenchy fashion house. Creative Director Sarah Burton won the British Womenswear Designer Award. She beat strong competition including Simone Rocha as well as Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault for Knwls. Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena for Chopova Lowena and Erdem Moralıoğlu for Erdem were also nominated.
Burton had long worked as a designer at Alexander McQueen. She joined Givenchy in 2024 and made her debut for the fashion house in March with a critically acclaimed Fall/Winter 2025 collection.
Grace Wales Bonner won the British Menswear Designer Award for Wales Bonner for the second time. The Central Saint Martins graduate launched her eponymous label in 2014. This success follows her appointment as the new creative director of menswear at Hermès in October. She succeeds Véronique Nichanian, who is leaving the house after a 37-year term.
Turkish-born designer Dilara Fındıkoğlu was also successful: she won the Vanguard Award. This honors designers who are at the “front of a new wave in British fashion”. Anok Yai took home the Model of the Year Award, while British rapper and actress Little Simz was honored as Cultural Innovator.
Chanel wins Special Recognition Award at the Fashion Awards
A Special Recognition Award was also presented to Chanel that evening. This celebrated the French fashion house’s 100 years in the UK. The BFC highlighted the label’s collaboration with the V&A and English National Ballet to mark the country’s anniversary. The V&A’s collection includes the original costumes designed by Gabrielle Chanel for Serge Diaghilev’s ballet Le Train Bleu, as well as the giant stage cloth widely considered to be the world’s largest Picasso. Chanel also supported the conservation of this unique work of art, which is now on display at the V&A East Storehouse. The house commissioned the English National Ballet to re-choreograph the ballet. This new production with contemporary reinterpreted costumes was performed during the awards ceremony.
There were a number of Fashion Awards winners announced earlier this year. This included Brunello Cucinelli, who received an Outstanding Achievement Award for his “extraordinary contribution to the world of fashion.” He follows in the footsteps of previous award winners such as Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren, Miuccia Prada and Giorgio Armani. Tommy Hilfiger, Yvon Chouinard, Valentino Garavani and Tom Ford also belong to this circle.
Cucinelli commented on the honor in a statement: “I am deeply honored to receive this ‘Global Oscar of Fashion’ from the British Fashion Council. It is all the more meaningful to receive it directly from the hands of a global film icon like Sharon Stone. I see this not only as a recognition of the creative work of our fashion house, but also as a tribute to the dedication and hard-working spirit of all the ‘thinking souls’ who are our valued employees.”
“I believe that a part of Italy is also celebrated here; its creative genius, its love of beauty and its unwavering commitment to excellence. I am deeply grateful for such recognition. My sincere thanks go to the esteemed David Pemsel and Laura Weir, Chairman and CEO of the British Fashion Council, and to all those who nurture this precious work of beauty. I would like to dedicate this prestigious award to all young people, whom I see as the guardians of humanity and the guardians of our future: Have Don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams, replace fear with hope and let the stars inspire you. I am sure the sky will guide your path.”
Other awards included the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creators, which went to Rei Kawakubo, Adrian Joffe and Dickon Bowden. It recognized her “incredible contribution to the global fashion industry” through her work at retailer Dover Street Market.
Tania Fares, co-chair of Fashion Trust Arabia and the BFC Foundation Fundraising Committee, accepted a Special Recognition Award honoring 15 years of the BFC Fashion Trust. Kate Hawley won the inaugural Costume Designer of the Year award. This was in recognition of her “exceptional costume design” for Guillermo del Toro’s film “Frankenstein”, highlighting the craftsmanship, creativity and fashion artistry that brought the story told in the film to life.
Lulu Kennedy and Raphaelle Moore also received a Special Recognition Award for 25 years of talent incubator Fashion East. This has supported the launch of some of Britain’s biggest fashion talents, including Simone Rocha, Maximilian Davis, Nensi Dojaka, Martine Rose, Liam Hodges, Wales Bonner, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Craig Green, Per Gotesson, Ashley Williams, Marques Almedia, Matty Bovan, Mowalola, Asai, Knwls, Stefan Cooke, Supriya Lele and Chet Lo.
Australian-born celebrity stylist Sam Woolf has been honored with the Pandora Style Moment of the Year Award. This category is intended to reflect the increasing visibility and commercial value of styling within the broader fashion ecosystem.
The event was disrupted by animal rights organization PETA, who stormed the red carpet to raise awareness about the cruelty of leather. The activists were dressed all in black and held signs that read: “Leather is destroying the planet. Wear your own skin.”
Commenting on the campaign, Kate Werner, Senior Campaigns Manager at PETA, said: “Today’s kind consumers want luxurious and sustainable vegan materials and have no interest in funding the violent killing of animals or the destruction of our planet.”
“PETA urges designers to leave animals and the planet in peace by taking advantage of the abundance of innovative vegan leathers available today.”
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