The British Fashion Awards Celebrates Women’s Achievements and “the Air of Change”

The Fashion Awards is no longer a British-only celebration but an international gathering to honor the great, the good, and the rising talent in the industry. This year’s event was masterminded by the outgoing chair of the British Fashion Council, Dame Natalie Massenet, and held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In its scope, the evening was pretty epic and often emotional. A major set of recognitions went to the contributions of women in the fashion industry: Donatella Versace as Icon of the Year, Pat McGrath as the recipient of the Isabella Blow Award for the Creative Force of the Year, and Maria Grazia Chiuri for her feminist stance for positive change. Stella McCartney was recognized for innovation, a title won for her pioneering leadership in sustainability. Then Adwoa Aboah stood up to receive the Model of the Year trophy. “I’m so happy to be in an industry that is now at the forefront of making a change,” she said. Referencing “the sexual assault cases in film,” she added, “I hope that we will work together to push out that bad energy, because there’s no time for that.”