The British Fashion Council (BFC) announces a new format in this extraordinary year for The Fashion Awards 2020. The annual global celebration of creativity and innovation will exceptionally take on a digital format on Thursday 3rd December 2020, in light of the restrictions imposed on large scale events and travel.
The Fashion Awards 2020 will honour and celebrate the designers, brands, creatives and individuals who have created positive change within the fashion industry this year; from those who bravely faced this challenging period with pro-active responses to the global pandemic, showed leadership and creative resilience, to the ones who stood up against prejudice within the fashion industry and fight for change. The BFC is looking to shine a spotlight on those who made humanitarian efforts, adapted their business models and responded to their community’s needs.
Twenty individuals and brands will be recognised and receive a ‘2020 Fashion Award’ in honour of their specific contribution. They will be announced as part of a short film that will document the fashion industry in this extraordinary year, while bringing together a list of next generation opinion leaders and creatives to share their personal vision on the most important moments of 2020. Please visit The Fashion Awards website and follow the British Fashion Council Instagram account for further release details.
New Wave: Creatives, the list that includes the most innovative and inspiring young creative talents from around the world, will return. Now in its third year, New Wave: Creatives has become a digital resource created to showcase the community and is being widely used by the international industry as an active resource for booking talent. The 2020 New Wave: Creatives list will place a spirit of resilience, innovation and meaningful change at the heart of the celebration as well as reinforce the BFC’s continuous commitment to the creativity of the industry.
The BFC continues its collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) to recognise businesses and individuals in fashion that make concerted efforts to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Stephanie Phair, BFC Chair commented: “This has been a year like no other. Fashion has probably been changed forever and businesses and designers have had to adapt to a new reality. It is more important than ever to recognise those in the fashion industry who played an important role in this extraordinary year, proving the compassion and resilience of our industry. This is what The Fashion Awards 2020 have set to do, by spotlighting those who have shown leadership and creative resilience over the past year.” Caroline Rush, BFC CEO said: “What the past couple of months have shown us, is that the fashion industry is in need of a reset. This is why this year, under unique circumstances, we felt that it was important to recognise the people and businesses who played a role in some of the most important and challenging issues of our generation and champion those who raised the bar in areas such as diversity, sustainability, and community.” The BFC would like to thank its longstanding Official Partners of The Fashion Awards for their generosity, collaboration and commitment, particularly during this unprecedented year. Please help us to acknowledge our special thanks to American Express, Bird in Hand, Getty Images and LAVAZZA for their ongoing support. The BFC will continue to work with longstanding partner Swarovski and re-focus their support on the launch of a new initiative for 2021, in line with the new BFC strategy. The BFC is grateful to Swarovski who has been a vital partner of the organisation for the past 14 years. The Fashion Awards 2021 will take place on Monday 29th November 2021, at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The ceremony will be reimagined to reflect the BFC’s new mission and with the ambition to have technology and engagement at its heart, looking at innovations for amplification and new experiences. The BFC looks to collaborate with a new Principal Partner, as well as Official Partners, to bring this vision to life in 2021. The Fashion Awards is a fundraiser for the BFC Foundation and focuses on celebrating excellence in the fashion industry and supporting the future pipeline of creative talent. Never before has there been more need for this support to ensure that our society and industry benefit from the positive cultural impact of fashion design. The BFC Foundation (Registered Charity Number: 1185152) supports the future growth and success of the British fashion industry by focusing on three areas: Education, Grant-Giving & Business Mentoring and the Institute of Positive Fashion. The BFC Foundation aims to improve equality and opportunity so that the fashion industry remains diverse and open to all, helping talented designers at all stages of their career from school level through to becoming a global fashion brand. -ENDJoin the conversation: #FashionAwards Fashionawards.com l @britishfashioncouncil For press enquiries please contact: Michalis Zodiatis, Senior Communications Manager, British Fashion Council [email protected] | +44 (0) 20 7759 1989 ABOUT BRITISH FASHION COUNCIL The British Fashion Council (BFC) was set up in 1983 to promote British fashion internationally and co-ordinate this promotion through fashion weeks, exhibitions and showcasing events. BFC now supports designers beginning at college level and extending to talent identification, business support and showcasing schemes. The BFC promotes British fashion and its influential role at home and abroad, helping British designer businesses develop their profiles and business globally. BFC Foundation (Registered Charity Number: 11852152) was created for charitable purposes and grant giving; attracting, developing, and retaining talent through education and business mentoring. BFC Colleges Council offers support to students through BA and MA scholarships and links with industry through design competitions and Graduate Preview Day. Through grant-giving and business mentoring the BFC support designers through four talent identification and business support schemes: BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund, NEWGEN which includes womenswear, menswear and accessories, and the BFC Fashion Trust, a charity supporting UK based designers. The BFC showcasing initiatives and events include London Fashion Week, London Fashion Week Men’s, LONDON show ROOMs and the annual celebration of creativity and innovation in the fashion industry: The Fashion Awards.