Designers, models, and all lovers of fashion braced the cold London weather for the 2019 Fashion Awards. Celebrating the best in fashion this year, style icons didn’t let the cold scare them from serving fire looks from nominated designers on the red carpet. Among the designer mix on the carpet, there were ensembles from Valentino, Stella McCartney, Gucci, Armani, and more. The hostess with the mostess this evening was Blackish’s Tracee Ellis Ross, gracing London’s Royal Albert Hall in an ice blue piece from Richard Quinn with her hair braided into a halo and a beaded collar to top it off. Ross kicked off the show with a song and spoke on the power of fashion, beauty, and self love.
The big star of the night was Daniel Lee, creative director of Bottega Veneta. He took home awards in four major categories, including Accessories Designer of the Year, British Designer of the Year Womenswear, Brand of the Year, and Designer of the Year. Meanwhile, Kim Jones of Dior won the coveted British Menswear Designer of the Year for his elegantly tailored and streetwear-inspired collections. Model of the Year went to South Sudanese-Australian supermodel Adut Akech. “This award is bigger than me; it’s bigger than a title in the industry. It’s for every young girl or boy refugees around the world in a tough position who are unheard or unseen,” She told CNN about her win. Akech glowed on the red carpet in an emerald green Valentino gown.
Rihanna was one of the evening’s showstoppers in her own Fenty mint green mini dress. The all-talented icon won more than just “most instagrammed outfit of the night,” but the Urban Luxe Award for Fenty. Both Rihanna and Adut share something in common with this year’s Fashion Icon Award winner: breaking barriers. Naomi Campbell has been changing the rules of inclusivity in the industry for years, and she was recognized for her inspiring work on and off the runway. The joyous event took a pause to commemorate one of the most significant faces in fashion, the late Karl Lagerfeld. The celebration ended with musical performances by Boy George and Eric Clapton.
By Sonja Grunfeld
