On Monday, The British Fashion Council (BFC) announced the shortlist of nominees for the British Fashion Awards 2011. The event recognises the most influential people in fashion today and celebrates the reputation and development of British fashion.
The winners will be announced at the British Fashion Awards on Monday 28th November in a ceremony attended by the most influential industry leaders, designers, retailers, models, celebrities and media to celebrate the best in British fashion.
This year, the British Fashion Award nominees, led by Save the Children and British Fashion Council ambassador Samantha Cameron, celebrated their nomination by taking part in Born to Walk Tall – the first ever fashion mile, to honour the critical work performed by doctors, nurses and midwives worldwide. Some of fashion’s hottest names including Sarah Burton, Christopher Bailey, Christopher Kane, Charlotte Olympia, Erdem Moralioglu, Katie Hillier and Peter Pilotto were joined by Dr. Hajara Kera, an inspirational midwife from Nigeria, in their walk from Downing Street to Somerset House to raise awareness of the vital role healthworkers play in making sure that children survive to take their first steps.
The award categories this year include Designer Brand, Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator and three Emerging Talent Awards recognising and supporting the young design talent whose creativity drives forward the British fashion industry.
New awards include the Emerging Talent Award – Menswear which will be awarded to an innovative and directional designer who is emerging as an influential force in British menswear ready-to-wear design; and the re-introduction of the Red Carpet award, which gives recognition to a British designer who is creating global awareness of their designs in the media.
Designer of the Year, the ultimate accolade, recognises a leading British based designer brand of couture, ready-to-wear, knitwear or accessories that has directed the shape of fashion in the past year and elevated their international reputation. The award is hotly contested this season between nominees Christopher Kane, Erdem and Sarah Burton for McQueen.
Additional awards will be announced prior to the awards ceremony, on November 28th, including the ‘BFC Outstanding Achievement in Fashion’ and ‘British Style’ awards.
Harold Tillman CBE, Chairman of the British Fashion Council, commented, “This year’s nominees demonstrate the breadth and creativity London has to offer. The fashion brands and designers that are based here set the trends across the globe – the latest of which will be shown on the catwalk from Friday 16th September when the international fashion crowd will descend upon London for the start of Fashion Week. In addition, we are thrilled to be working alongside Save the Children on their Born to Walk Tall campaign, championed by our BFC Ambassador Samantha Cameron, this year.”
The British Fashion Awards 2011 nominees are:
EMERGING TALENT AWARD – ACCESSORIES
Jordan Askill, Nasir Mazhar and Tabitha Simmons
EMERGING TALENT AWARD – READY TO WEAR
J.W. Anderson, Mary Katrantzou and Peter Pilotto
EMERGING TALENT AWARD – MENSWEAR
Christopher Raeburn, James Long and J.W. Anderson
DESIGNER BRAND
Burberry, Stella McCartney, Tom Ford and Victoria Beckham
MODEL
Georgia Jagger, Kristen McMenamy and Stella Tennant
ACCESSORY DESIGNER
Charlotte Olympia, Emma Hill for Mulberry and Katie Hillier
MENSWEAR DESIGNER
Kim Jones, Margaret Howell and Oliver Spencer
ISABELLA BLOW AWARD FOR FASHION CREATOR
Guido Palau, Katie Grand and Sam Gainsbury
RED CARPET AWARD
Antonio Berardi, Stella McCartney and Victoria Beckham
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Christopher Kane, Erdem and Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen
For more information please visit www.britishfashionawards.com