The Fashion Statement: British Fashion Awards
All eyes were on the Savoy Hotel and Theatre in London this week, where the 2010 British Fashion Awards took place on Tuesday night. Here are the highlights:
Phoebe Philo (pictured above with Bianca Jagger) earned the British Designer of the Year award for her role as creative director of Celine. She is currently driving the industry with her understated take on minimalism.
The British Style award went to fashion's It girl Alexa Chung (pictured below with Bryan Ferry) for embodying the spirit of London and being and helping to establish London as a fashion capital. If you don't know who Chung is, you will. The New York Times in a story a few weeks ago called "The Making of Fashion's Latest 'It' Girl," called her the most famous person you've never heard of. She's a huge star in England -- the award was decided by public vote -- and a muse for fashion people. She's also highly revered in the blogosphere.
Victoria Beckham, who was nominated for the Designer Brand award, lost out to British handbag maker Mulberry. Jetting in from L.A., where she now lives, the spice girl said she was proud to be British and proud just to be nominated.
Lee Alexander McQueen posthumously received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design. I'm not sure the U.K. will ever produce another fashion bad as exciting and innovative -- both on and off the runway -- as McQueen was. The council no doubt aimed to solidify his standing as the best designer of his generation.
Models Naomi Campbell and Lara Stone were honored for being style icons. In her acceptance speech, the famously ill tempered Campbell teared up saying, "It's overwhelming to be in your own country and to receive such an award."
Burberry won the Digital Award. The brand has been streaming all its fashion shows on its site since September 2009 and presented its fall 2010 collection as an interactive, motion-responsive experience.
Finally, the Isabella Blow Award to Fashion Creator went to Nicola Formichetti, creative director at Thierry Mulger, but who's probably best known these days for being a stylist to Lady Gaga. He put her in drag for Vogue Hommes Japan.
Nods went out to footwear designer Nicholas Kirkwood, ready-to-wear designer Meadham Kirchhoff and accessories designer Husam El Odeh. The rest was just plain good people watching: Bryan Ferry, Claudia Schiffer, Thandie Newton, Yasmin Le Bon.
